Survey the Social
by Ziggon
Summary: High school is a great place to study social behavior. It's also a time to find out who you are and the lies that you've built your life on. Just who are the Eds? Rating changes to M in the 6th chapter for violence.
1. Chapter 1

Survey the Social

A/N: Hey everyone. This is my first Ed, Edd, and Eddy fan fiction, so please be kind. Of course I don't own any of the characters.

**Survey the Social**  
Chapter One.

The smell of summer was still in the air as the sun set on the 2nd to last day of summer vacation. Colored lanterns strung on thin wires fluttered gently in the dying summer breeze. Each string strung from light post to light post around the cul-de-sac as everyone socialized on the asphalt. The lights casted orange, red, and yellow glow as everyone celebrated the last weekend of the summer together. There were all the trappings of a summer barbecue, tables with paper coverings, piles of hamburgers and hot dogs and coolers still filled with soda, a boom box still blasting even as twilight settled in over the horizon.

Eddy leaned on the table next to the empty potato chip bowl and sighed. He had spent the better part of the afternoon trying to steal Nazz's attention from Kevin during the party. He had grown over the years, but never enough. Nothing ever seemed to satisfy his hunger for things better than what was provided to him. He wore good clothes, had the best hair products and everything a young adult might need. Never the less, little seemed to appease him. His eyes were on the blossomed young woman who had ignored him since his young adolescence.

"It's not so bad, Eddy." Double D assured as he approached from seemingly no where. He was always good at that, coming up to nag at the most inopportune times. "High school will be quite an educational advent-"

"Will you can it? It's not that." Eddy grumbled, crossing his arms and glaring up at his still taller friend. Double D seemed to think for a moment, and glanced out into the crowd before sighing. For a moment, he wondered when Eddy's attention had turned from shiny quarters to the opposite sex. Things change so quickly… After a moment of reflection on that idea he shook his head.

"I don't understand how that can still occupy your thoughts when there's a whole new school and academic challenge ahead of us." He put an arm around Eddy's shoulder. "High school is a time of great change, who knows how our social standings might shift with the new surroundings. Someone who was once popular may become a social outcast and the outcast may become popular as we finish maturing."

"So Kevin might become a nerd?" Eddy asked, half in excitement, and half hoping he had just translated Edd's wordiness right.

"Well, perhaps. One can never truly anticipate all the twists and turns of the future, so I suppose it's possible." Double D put a finger to his chin as he thought, but a plan was already at work in Eddy's mind.

"What if we sneak into Kevin's house tomorrow and steal all his new school clothes and replace them with yours? Then he'd really be a geek!" Eddy laughed. Double D crossed his arms.

"And what, pray tell, are you insinuating by that, Eddy? That _I_ am a _geek_?"

"What? I thought you knew."

Double D only sighed, shoulders slumping a little. "I prefer academically astute."

"Po-tay-to, To-mah-to, Double D." Eddy shrugged off before going to join in the group again.

Double D watched him with a mix of offense and sad realization at the fact that his friend might be right. After all, how many of his peer group enjoyed reading through the library's non-fiction and biographical sections on the weekends? But he wasn't that geeky, was he? He didn't carry pocket protectors in his pockets or rave over cartoons like others in that category. Just what does it take to mark one as a geek, or jock, or prep? It certainly would be an interesting study to make once school started. Double D couldn't hide a grin at the chance to study others in the legendary setting of the last stage of basic education.

"They grow so fast." Ed said practically in Double D's ear, jolting him from his thoughts and back to the party. Ed was watching as Eddy still tried to keep Nazz's attention, but failing horribly.

"Yes, they do, Ed." Double D stretched "However, some things just don't change, do they?" He looked up at Ed, whose attention was caught by the dancing fireflies that had come out to join the celebration. The big oaf dashed off to chase them and Double D covered his giggle with his hand. A habit he picked up ever since the kids had made fun of the gap in his teeth when he smiled. Poor Ed had no idea what laid before them. What high school really meant. He was just satisfied with chasing after phosphorescent insects. Double D's thoughts were interrupted by a yawn.

"Oh my, it's later than I assumed." He said to himself as he checked his cell phone, a present from his last birthday. He would have alerted his friends that he was going home, but both were so preoccupied that he simply walked from the group and to his dark home. Double D's parents weren't home, which was normal in the evenings. He was accustomed to walking into an empty and dark home. The quiet there had stopped bothering him long ago.

With a deep breath, he took in the smell and sounds of the summer evening before opening the door and turning on the lights. On the coffee table in the living room wasn't a post it, but a note written on actual notebook paper. Only very very important things were written on actual paper. With a shaking hand, Double D picked up the folded paper and began to read.

Everyone was laughing, but Eddy was used to it. Humiliation only affects you for so many times before you grow a thick skin to it. He had got a dance with Nazz, finally, only for Kevin to trip him into the table, the punch bowl now empty and sitting on his head. When he lifted the plastic bowl he expected Kevin to be in his face, but instead it was Double D with an expression of complete and utter glee.

"What's with you, sock-head?"

"Look, Eddy!" He shoved the paper in his friend's view. "Mother and Father have planned a very important surprise for me!" Eddy gave his friend an annoyed and weirded out expression before taking the note with punch covered fingers and read it.

"Dear Edward, we are so proud of you for completing your junior high school with such honors that we have prepared a very special and expensive surprise-" Eddy stopped reading there.

"To help ensure success in your high school endeavors. Love, Mother and Father." Double D continued, having already memorized the letter. Eddy hopped up and pulled Double D to his level, pushing the paper in his face.

"Did you see that? Expensive surprise! You know what that means!"

"Eddy, you're covered in punch." Double D wiggled out from his friend's grasp and took his note back, trying to wipe off the punch from the paper.

"I bet they're giving you a car!" Eddy said, jumping in the air. "We'll get all the girls-"

"I highly doubt that my parents would just give me a car, Eddy. First, I won't gain my driver's licensure until my sophomore year, and secondly a car is something one should earn and maintain with hard work and-"

"What else does a high school kid need?" Eddy asked.

"Well perhaps it is a laptop computer to help with my studies, Eddy. Or their gift may be a new updated encyclopedia."

"Maybe it's a new collection of mashed potatoes and monster movies." Ed chimed in, a sock full of glowing fireflies in his hand. Both Eddy and Double D stared at him for a moment.

"At any rate, I wanted to tell you the good news. It's late and we should all be heading home to rest." Double D said, folding the note and putting it inside his hat.

"It's still summer, I'm not going to bed before 12." Eddy huffed, arms crossed.

"You have to think about your sleep cycle, Eddy. If you don't get the rest you need, you won't be able to grow." He said with a grin, knowing that was a sore subject with his friend.

"I still think that's a bunch of bull." Eddy huffed but still turned to his house but paused to yell back "When they pull your car into your driveway, you better come pick us up."

"I want to watch the movies!" Ed shouted as he walked to his own home. "And swim in da mashed potatoes." Double D just shook his head. Some things never do change. For that, he was truly thankful.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Second chapter is here. I hope you all will enjoy this one. I, of course, don't own any of the characters except Emily and Tony. (Oh noes! OC s! Don't worry, I promise they all have legit places in the fic.) Song lyrics that are italicized and stared are not mine. They belong to Meg and Dia's song "Timmy."

**Survey the Social**

Chapter two.

It was probably after midnight, but she didn't care. On the roof of a run-of-the-mill house in a regular development sat a girl with an acoustic guitar, playing a slow melody.

"_Watch him leave the floor. My body's inching towards the door. I just turn instead. Not done pretending yet, never done pretending yet."_ Black painted fingernails and agile fingers tips fluttered over the strings as the words turned into humming. They only paused to pick up pencil and jot down lyrics in the cool moonlight. _"I'm indifferent, let me go. Gotta dance and think of him no more. Never never understand the words I wrote. Never mind a heart that's broken, right? You can never be mine, all I do is fight fight. I'm indifferent to you. I've got nothing for you."_

"Will you shut up?! SOME of us have school tomorrow!" Lee's shadowed outline yelled out the window of their small home. Marie gave her sister a crude jester before shoving the pencil in the spirals of her notebook.

Peach County High was truly intimidating. The building was three stories tall and half a mile long, meant to house a staggering 3,500 students and faculty. It was built to accommodate students not just from the Peach Creek school system, but three surrounding school districts as well. The brick building seemed extra cold and extra dark and menacing to the smallest of the Eds as the rest of the Peach Creek kids waited for their bus to take its spot in front of the school. There was a conga line of busses and student and teacher vehicles that held up traffic on the main road. Maybe the whole thing wouldn't be so nerve racking if their trio was complete. Double D was missing, strangely. Without his ravings about academic challenges and the rewards of proper hygiene, Eddy felt extra vulnerable here. To top it off, Double D never came back to tell them what that surprise was, the jerk.

"It's like The Human Ocean from Mars!" Ed said with glee as he pointed out the window at the massive crowd in front of the school. Hundreds of students were filing into the building. Eddy gaped at them, trying to figure out who was student, and who was teacher.

"I don't think the life guard is on duty, Eddy." Before Eddy could reply to Ed's dumb comments, Ed put an inner tube around Eddy and shoved floaties on his arms. "There. Now you can go in the water."

Eddy quickly tore off the swimming gear and threw them back into Ed's face "I don't need stupid baby stuff, and it's not water moron! It's people. Hundreds of people." He turned and pressed his face against the glass of the window. "If my brother was top dog of this school, I can do it too." He grinned at himself at that and climbed up to sit on the top of the seat in front of him. "Hey! All you jerks are looking at the future king of Peach County High!"

"All I see is a runt that's going to get trampled when he gets off the bus!" Kevin laughed, the rest of the bus joining him.

"Why don't you come back here and say that-" The bus suddenly came to a stop, sending Eddy flying backwards, landing in Ed's lap.

"There, there, little one." Ed patted Eddy's head as everyone rolled with laughter as they exited the bus.

Eddy got up, red faced and fuming, grabbed his bags and stomped off the bus. As predicted, the mob of people in front of him made it hard to see.

"Where'd they all come from Eddy?" Ed asked, sticking close.

"Forget that, just pick me up lump-head." In seconds he was lifted up on Ed's shoulders. It was only moments before the rest of the students noticed the two, some pointing and some laughing.

"Look!" Shouted a boy who looked far too old to be a student there. "That guy brought his baby brother to school!" The surrounding kids laughed.

"Shut up! He's my slave, get it right!" Eddy shouted back. "I don't see you with any lackeys. And what grade are you in? You've failed the 11th grade five times? Six?" He crossed his arms and sat triumphantly on top of an oblivious Ed. The students looked at Eddy's confident composure and the other kid's face as he groped for a come back. When he failed to think of one, the students started cheering for Eddy, everyone parting for the two of them. Eddy looked down at Ed "This is going to be a good year. To the front door, slave!"

"You got it boss!" Ed saluted, almost dropping Eddy but caught his leg again quickly and trotted off to the front door. As they made their way, they passed Kevin walking with Nazz in tow.

"Future king, baby." He grinned, winking at Nazz as they passed. She smiled at him and Kevin shook his fist.

Once they were inside, Ed put Eddy down. "Too bad Double D wasn't here to see that." Eddy laughed.

"Do you think he was eaten by the closet monster that collects human toes?" The genuinely worried expression is was always annoyed Eddy a little bit. It would be different if the kid was kidding, but as always Ed believed it could actually happen.

"No he's probably still joy riding in his new car, the jerk. When I see him again I'm gunna-" He was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder and a smooth female voice.

"That was really cool how you stood up to Tony back there. I'm Emily." She was only slightly taller than him with long brown curly hair that shimmered and flowered over her tan shoulders. Her body, wow her body was perfect. Curves in the right place and the most stylish clothing covering only the curves that really needed covered. She giggled when he started to drool and gently tilted Eddy's chin up when his eyes lingered too long on her body. "I like cool guys."

"W-well I'm as cool as they come. Eddy's the name and this lump is Ed. I usually have another lackey but he's-"

"Double D!" Shouted Ed as he rushed off into the crowd and came back with a floppy Edd in his arms.

"It's about time you got here." Eddy said, arms crossed. "Never thought you'd be late for the first day of school." Instead of replying, Double D hung his head and slumped his shoulders. To that Eddy raised an eyebrow. "What? Did your folks stand you up again?" Double D solemnly shook his head.

"Eddy shush. He has a tummy ache from all the mashed potatoes." Ed scolded before rubbing Double D's back. "Shh It happens to me all the time."

"You know this guy?" Emily whispered to Eddy, sending shudders down his spine. She studied Double D from his pathetic depressed looking posture to his button up shirt, tie, dress pants and brief case. There was a eye glass case shaped lump in his pocket. "He's such a geek." That time it was a whisper loud enough for Edd to hear.

"I-uh-oh he's just does my homework for me." Eddy laughed. "Or I give him a wedgie." Double D put his hands on his hips at that. "It's that right, Double Geek?" D's response was an intense glare at his friend. "See? He's even too scared to talk to me. That's how I like my nerds."

"That is quite enough!" Double D shouted. The three people in front of him suddenly burst out into laughter. Across Double D's upper teeth was a thick metallic band. Bright, shiney braces were his special and expensive gift. The new reading glasses were an extra bonus he had earned when he couldn't read the fine print on the consent forms for the braces. He waited with crossed arms and angry expression for the laughter to stop. Even Ed was laughing. When it didn't and other random children were laughing too, Double D had had enough.

"Oh sure! Laugh! I'll have you know that corrective dental hardware is a sound investment in one's future and-" It didn't work. They were just laughing harder.

"Where's the head gear?" Eddy managed as he gasped for air. "It looks like you swallowed Jimmy from two years ago! What a geek!"

At that, Double D turned and marched off, completely furious. But then again...he knew that they'd react that way. It's why he was dreading to come, why he desperately didn't want to show them. At least he didn't have to suffer the trials of having head gear like poor Jimmy did. He certainly gained new respect for his younger peer. But for that ingrate Eddy to laugh and laugh like that! It wasn't that humourous! He pushed into the closest bathroom and dropped his briefcase by a sink and glared at himself in the mirror.

"What in the world do they find so amusing?" He asked, searching his face. With a sigh he relaxed and held his head, feeling a headache coming on. "My first day of high school should not be so troublesome."

"Some things don't change, do they?" Asked a female voice from the window sill. Double D look up and blushed, stepping back.

"M-M-Marie Kanker?!" He choked out as she hopped down. Marie had grown well. Pretty blue hair with the same choppy cut, just the back met the base of her neck before ending. She wore a customary black tank top which ended low enough to give hints at a shiney blue belly button ring, but certainly covered more than what most of the females wore here. Loose gray-blue cargos hugged her slim hips. Marie's lips curled into a grin as he pressed against the sinks as she approached and she placed black painted fingers on her hips as she looked him over.

"It's been a while, huh? 3 years since Mama got hitched to a real man and we moved into a real house?"

"What are you doing here? This is a men's bathroom!" D asked before slipping onto the floor.

"Funny, I don't see any urinals." She smirked. Double D looked around and to his horror he found that it was true. In his overemotional state, he must have failed to notice and walked straight into- He covered his eyes immediently, trying to get up and bumping his head on the sink in the process. She took his wrist and lead him back to his feet before surprisingly letting him go. He peeked through his fingers at her, his knees shaking.

"Y-you're not going to...?"

"Rape you? Hardly." She crossed her arms and cocked her hip. "I gotta say I'm a little disappointed. I was really hopping you'd have grown up a little."

"I'll have you know that I'm quite mature for my age." Marie only rolled her eyes at his proclamation.

"Let me guess. Eddy was a jerk to you and you got upset and walked blindly into a girl's bathroom?"

Double D looked at his shoes. "Perhaps."

"He called you a geek, huh? The braces, right?" She came closer and took the glasses case from his pocket and took out the thick, black and square frames before slipping them gently on his face. Even when the glasses were on, she held his face still, eyes locked on his. "Labels like geek and nerd only bother people who don't know who they are." She let him go and took a step back, studying him. "For the record, I think these look good on you."

Marie waved and left, leaving Edd stunned, staring at the pink stalls and window. Was that really Marie? And what did she mean didn't know who he was? Of course he knew who he was!

Right?

Suddenly, the sound of someone coming in interrupted his thoughts and Double D dashed into a stall and closed the door, waiting with shaking knees until the giggling gossiping girls left. As soon as they had he dashed out just in time for the first class bell.

The first class was English, but the new teacher's words faded behind Double D's thoughts. Why did those labels bother him so much? Maybe because geek was a step below dork? He took out a note book and jotted down his thoughts, making a social ladder of sorts with the bottom being geek, then nerd, dork, loser, freak, no body, prep, cheerleader, jock. Surly this would need more investigation. Still, he felt a little uneasy about Marie's words. This social investigation might end up a personal journey of his own. Double D wasn't sure wether he should be excited or nervous about that fact, after all, experiments were meant just to clarify nature and logic...not be interpersonal mirrors.

This was going to be an interesting study indeed.

A/N: This is getting fun. Don't worry, this story isn't about ships, so if you're hesitant about EddxMarie, or some weird OC pairing, then don't worry. I've got more in mind for the fic than just who's smooching who. If/when relationships come into the picture it won't be the whole focus of the story, I promise.

I kept most of the characters exactly as they were because nothing has changed significantly in their lives. They all still live in the same houses and with the same parents as before. However, family changes and moving can do a lot to help someone grow, so I had a lot of fun thinking about how I would like to develop the Kanker Sisters. I hope it doesn't turn any of you guys off to the story.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Survey the Social

**Survey the Social**

Chapter three.

It was a week after Double D's encounter with Marie and he already had a composition book filled with thoughts and observations about social groups. He was always so wrapped up in his studies on the subject that he paid no mind to Eddy as he showed Double D and Ed as his lackeys to anyone that could hear. If anything, it only helped Double D's studies because Eddy loved to boast to everyone, no matter the social circle so it meant that he could study all types up close.

There was something nagging at him, deep in his stomach, though. Something that said something was wrong. It had to change. A fire sprung up by just one sentence from the lips of a girl that used to fill him with so much dread. Now there were just fuzzy thoughts at the meaning of those words. Why didn't they seem to make clearer sense? What was he not seeing? Surly with more study…

"Double Geek, did you hear me?" Eddy said loudly. Double D blinked, looking up from his composition book, having finished up the very last page. "What are you writing?" He grabbed for the book but Double D easily kept it out of reach.

"Research, Eddy. It seems I will need another notebook to record my findings."

"Well you can do that some other time. This kid paid a whole buck for you to answer this math question for him, so get to it." He shoved Double D closer to the other student with his book open. Edd glanced up at the student in question. The boy had sloppy brown hair and a shirt D remembered the same boy wore yesterday, making it easy to classify the student in the slacker category. He moved his gaze back to the book in the boy's hands and sighed, looking back to Eddy.

"This is homework, Eddy. I can't-"

"Just do it. He's already paid." Eddy rolled his eyes. Again with these stupid values? Didn't Double D understand there was money to be made?

Double D sighed and finished the complex algebra calculation without a calculator. "There."

"Thanks Eddy." The kid grinned, as if Eddy deserved any thanking at all. "How much does it cost for your geek to do a whole paper for me?"

"Thirty bucks." Eddy said proudly.

"That's plagiarism!" Double D gasped. "I refuse to even consider such an academic abomination!"

"Here you go." The kid handed over the money as Double D's mouth dropped. "I need a research paper on Mount Rushmore by next Monday."

"We'll have it ready for ya." Eddy smiled, stashing the money.

Double D's arms hanged slack for a moment before he waved them in exasperation. "Does no one have any integrity?! Am I invisible? Is everyone deaf?!"

"We will be if you don't pipe down, sock head." Eddy glared and covered his ears. He sighed when D's face grew red with anger and he put a hand on Double D's back. "Look, you write some papers and I split the money with you at 80/20. C'mon."

"Absolutely not! And certainly not in that sort of agreement. For the labor that I have to do I should at least earn 50 if not more."

"The rest is management fees." Eddy grinned slyly up at Double D but when he didn't waver he put on a sad puppy dog face and pulled his friend down to his level. "Ok, ok, you see that girl over there?" Double D did all he could to keep from gagging on Eddy's over use of cologne.

Eddy pointed at Emily who was talking to some of her friends a short distance away. She wore a tight pink tank top that showed off her firm and beautiful arms. A short white and pink pleated skirt hung on her hips, showing off long pretty tan legs. Double D quickly noted the girl to belong to three different yet related social groups: beautiful people, prep and popular. She was certainly someone who held power in the student body for those reasons. Leave it to Eddy to go for the hardest to reach targets…no pun intended. He retracted from his thoughts and put on a skeptical expression.

"The girl who is violating the school dress code with her short pleated skirt?"

"The very one." Eddy said in a dreamy tone. "Anyway, I really think she's starting to like me because I'm cool."

"I fail to see what this has to do with soliciting illegal and unethical services against my will, Eddy." Double D said pulling free from Eddy.

"Everyone thinks I'm cool because I've got you and Ed. You guys are all I've got." He turned on the quivering lip. Oh that classic quivering lip, one of the things Double D always had a hard time saying no to. "Please. It's in the name of love, Double D. If you don't, everyone will call me a sham and she won't like me anymore. I'm counting on you, buddy."

"Far be it for everyone to know who you really are." The taller said with crossed arms. Oh, but that lip was still quivering. Perhaps if Eddy finally did get a girlfriend it would be a way to examine the three top social circles closer. But what of his own precious, beautiful morals? Double D glanced at Eddy one more time and sighed. "On one condition, Eddy."

"Name it, but I still call 80/20."

"I would appreciate it if you stopped referring to me by degrading social labels." He stated sternly, still feeling a little ill at the thought of breaking some of the few ethics he had kept safe from Eddy.

"Yea yea, sure sure, whatever. So you'll have that paper ready, right?"

D sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Do I ever let you down, Eddy?"

"Awesome, I'll see you at lunch then." He left at that, not caring that Double D was about to say something else. He really wanted to talk to Emily before she left with her friends.

"Hey, beautiful." He beamed at Emily who giggled. She was so cute, how her nose crinkled like that when she laughed.

"Eddy, hey. Have you found more followers? I think it's so cool how you just take charge." She played with his hair. She was flirting alright, the way she was looking him right in the eyes and twirled his hair around her finger. Double D was watching, however. This wasn't a sign of affection like Eddy was assuming. She was displaying her power over him to her friends who were all whispering to each other. Literally showing how he was wrapped around her finger. Notes were jotted in a new notebook as he watched from behind a locker.

"I'm working on it. I came over to ask if you wanna go for a dinner and see a movie." She and her friends giggled at Eddy as he stumbled over his words.

"Aw. You know, Tony asked me the same thing first period." She glanced back at her friends who were doing all they could to keep from laughing. "I'll go with you if you do something really cool today at lunch. I told Tony the same thing, so it's gotta be something really really cool." Emily then leaned down and kissed Eddy on the cheek. "I hope you win." She waved and walked with her crowd of followers, and if Ed hadn't rushed up to him, Eddy probably would have become mush on the floor.

"I followed that guy you told me to, Boss." Ed grinned big. "Didn't let no one touch him."

"Good job, Ed. We gotta find Double D and start planning."

"Is it my birthday?!"

"No, stupid. I've got a girl to win."

Double D quickly ducked into the nearby music room. He had enough of Eddy's shenanigans for today, and certainly didn't want anything to do with a show off competition for some girl's frivolous and artificial affections. Once inside, he breathed a sigh of relief in the quiet of the room and turned slowly, taking in how the sunlight filtered through drawn blinds and glinted on the chrome of instruments that laid in waiting. There was something calming and inspiring about an empty music room. The pure potential for beauty and creative expression held by the instruments there was enormous, all depending on the person who would find them. Either an array of wonder, or forever quiet and dust covered silence. Double D approached a snare drum, contemplating its origins and wondering at its simplistic design when someone walked in.

"You know, I bet you'd be good at the drums." Marie commented, touching his back, making him jump, bumping into the snare, making its sound resonate loudly in the quiet room. "Playing the drums is just math." Her eyes were then distracted by the composition book on the floor.

"M-Marie. I didn't hear you enter." He said, hand on his chest. In the process he had dropped his composition book and it laid open, which Marie bent and picked up.

"You're making a list of kids in here?" She asked with concern.

"Of course not. At least…not in a malicious way. It's simply a study of social behavior of high school students in the high school setting." He swallowed at the way her eyes studied him so closely, wondering if his microbial specimens felt like this when his giant eye would appear over them. It was quite…

"Do you want to try something out? I mess around in here a lot." She motioned to the instruments and he blushed, quickly shaking his head and taking an uncertain step back. Suddenly he noticed the calm of the room had left and it sort of felt like it was spinning.

"No, I was just. The hall ways were really full and I needed an open space." He said quickly.

"You're still afraid of girls." She sighed.

"That's ridiculous. Of course not. I just remembered that I have someplace to go." Before he could escape, Marie grabbed his arm and Double D suddenly wished he was an Elgaria Coerulea aka the alligator lizard that could detach his tail, or in this case arm, when caught. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but thought better of it and let him go.

"Never mind. If you want to be pathetic, go ahead. I think I'm done trying to get through to you."

"Pathetic? I am hardly-"

"You are the most empty, flat, miserable person I have ever met." Marie interrupted. "I had a lot of time to think about you when we moved away. Lots and lots of time to get a different view, and I'll tell you that I am so glad that none of my daydreams about you came true. Everyone who ever is separated from someone they used to like sees a different side of them later."

D's mouth was slightly parted, not sure how to replay to that, and even more puzzled about how much her comments stung. The only person he knew that truly was infatuated with him at some point had changed her opinion so much?

"What…what did I do to make you think that?" Wait? Wasn't it a good thing that Marie was disappointed in him? No, knowing anyone was disappointed in him was something Double D just could not stand, even if it was a Kanker Sister.

Marie sighed and took him by the shoulders and forcefully sat him down in a chair. He blinked up at her with confusion and true ignorance to what she was getting at. He really had no idea what she was talking about, which softened her angry disposition. "Let me tell you a story."

"Once upon a time there was a little boy with a beautiful light inside of him. A really cool gift that people are only born with, something no one can really just learn, you know? Anyway, his parents had their own idea about who their little boy was going to be and probably from when he was really little to all through his life they only gave him the things that would make him into what they wanted. They probably told the little boy 'It will make us happy if you do this. We will only be happy with this.'"

"So the little boy did everything they said cuz he loved his folks a lot." Marie continued. "More than most little kids. But his folks...they only wanted him to be perfect. Like their house had to be spotless. But the little boy never asked himself 'what do _I_ want to be when I grow up?' He never thought anything else of it. Mother and Father know best."

Double D swallowed at this, in a sense of shocked awe, but more drawn into the story Marie was saying, as if she wasn't talking about him. He knew she was, but didn't…he didn't want to hear it that way. It was just a story.

"Anyways. As the kid got older his folks spent a little less time around him more and more. He still had that light but never really tried to figure out what it really was. He just did as his mother and father said, but with them gone more and more he was really lonely. That's when the evil prince came in. The evil prince saw the boy and knew that he was lonely, so he came over and talked to him, wondering how he might use him. When he saw that the boy had a special light he latched onto him. The evil prince used the boy. Instead of encouraging him to find out what his gift really was, he made the boy do things only for his own greedy gain." She smiled, knowing he knew what she was really saying, watching it all turn in his head.

"He never asked him what he wanted, never cared. And he made the boy give up all his values, one by one until he didn't really stand up against him. He might say 'no, that's not a good idea' but the prince never listened. And the boy went along anyways because all along he was told this abuse was friendship. The boy never had real friendship before, so he never questioned it. Almost abandoned by his parents, the boy felt he had a place to belong, and someone who needed him so he was satisfied, I guess. He would do everything for the evil prince, then go home and do everything for phantom parents and would wonder why all his books and studies won't fill that empty place inside of him." Marie only paused when she noticed that his eyes were watering.

"S…so. How does the story end?" Double D whispered, rubbing at his eyes, muttering about the dust in the room.

"The boy grows up, goes to the college his parents pick, gets a job he thinks will make them happy and grows old until one day he realizes that he's never really done anything for himself. He figures everything out decades too late and dies alone and unfulfilled."

"How do you know any of this?" He asked, voice hoarse. "How do you think you really know anything? How…" He stood, feeling anger starting to build. "How dare you tell me who I am and what I think, or think you know anything about my private life?"

"A girl doesn't spend over a year stalking a boy without finding things out. I only saw your parents home long enough to eat dinner with you, tuck you in and write more sticky notes before leaving again. And I saw you this morning in the hall. Now you're cheating for that moron Eddy? I never thought you'd stoop so low for his ego. Just think of what your parents will think!" She gasped in harsh sarcasm.

"Oh yea?" Double D said, his grip tightening on his things in anger. "Well I know all about you too, Marie Kanker. Your mom was quite legendary for her promiscuous life style! She worked late nights downtown doing seedy things with who knows who. That's why you lived in the trailer park, that's why you and your sisters only have your mother in common. And everyone knows that the apple never falls far from the tree." The hand that slammed across his face should have been predicted, but in his heated moment, all he knew was the anger that was being vented, not the words he was really saying, or the impact of them on Marie. After she smacked him she grabbed his collar and pulled him close.

"At least I have a mother who cares about me." She pushed him backwards into some chairs and turned to leave, slamming the door behind her. And after that, everything was silent again, at least until a hand touched the hot, throbbing cheek and quiet sobs followed. He was so angry that Marie had said those things, angry that they were all true, ashamed that he had lost control of his emotions and ashamed of the things she convicted him of. The pain in his back from falling on the chairs, painful throb on his cheek and pounding heart didn't help. That was a girl that would go out of her way just to run into him years ago and now she thought he was the lowest, most pathetic thing she ever saw.

And right now he felt it.

Ed, of course, had no idea what was going on. They were trying to find Double D to help Eddy figure something out, but it didn't really matter to him. Ed didn't understand why people couldn't just have fun enjoying little stuff, like how the hallways stretched on forever like in the cartoons, or how everyone in the hallway looked like one big million headed creature that he could pretend was slowly sucking him in to be one with its collective. They were rushing through the monster now, looking in its folds and hidden compartments for Double D.

"No one can hear you call for cheese in space, Eddy." Ed grinned, only to gain an annoyed look. Didn't Eddy know just yelling and running around wasn't going to help anything? "Maybe he fell into a paper hole, where there's no escape!"

"Will you shut up? I'm trying to concentrate." Ed shrugged, thinking that the library would have been a good place to look, but maybe Eddy had a special tracking device on their brainy friend. Maybe he could smell him! Yea, maybe Eddy had super cool dog smelling powers. But he didn't notice Eddy growing a snout. Maybe his nose was cold? He reached over his friend's head and touched his nose, only to be swatted away. Nope. Not cold and wet. Maybe he was a sick puppy?

"Maybe a trip to the vet for little Eddy." Ed grinned to himself. Ed might have been hit if someone hadn't pulled him aside. He looked down and recognized those brown eyes hidden by whips of red hair.

"Kanker!" Ed shouted, trying to squirm as Lee and May dragged Ed into a closet. "Please do not eat my guts and sell my skin!"

"Shush Ed, we're setting you free." May said. She turned on the light to show that there was a door in the closet that was loosely covered with planks of wood.

"Dungeon of doom!" He yelled again, only for Lee to throw tape on his mouth and shove him through the gap in the planks.

"Ed, pick me up so I can see over everyone." Eddy said in the hall, turning to find that Ed was now missing. "Ed?" He growled, turning back around. His friends seemed to think today would be the perfect day to desert him. Well fine, he'd have to figure out something on his own. His thoughts were interrupted when someone slammed into him from behind.

"Oh sorry, I didn't see you down there." Tony laughed. He was tall and two years older than most kids in the eleventh grade. He wore obnoxiously bright colors and had unkempt blonde hair. "This is why they shouldn't let ten year olds into high school. Where's your babysitters, little guy?" He patted Eddy's head and dodged a few swats. "I'll see you at lunch, jerk." And stepped past him, everyone in Tony's group laughing and laughing as he went.

"Oh yea?! Well me and my friends are going to show you!" he yelled at their backs before being swallowed by the crowd. "You'll see…"

A/N: Uh so yea! Sorry to do the clichéd Double D's parents neglect him thing. I kinda needed it for this fic. Yep…


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I, of course, do not own any of the characters except those of Tony, Emily, Derek and the very creepy man in the basement. The song I have Marie singing this time is Death Cab for Cutie's song "Someday You Will Be Loved." Lyrics indicated in italics. Of course I do not calim ownership of that song either. (You can find it on youtube! Chekc it out.) Enjoy!

**Survey the Social**

Chapter four.

The chatter of lunch was far away from her perch outside, guitar in her lap. On the bleachers of the empty football field there was just her and the sun. The pain of his words was fading to dull regret, sadness for a boy who never truly thought of her. Emotions wasted on someone who wasted no thought on himself.

_"I once knew a boy in the years of my youth with eyes like the summer; all beauty and truth. But in the morning I fled, left a note and it read: someday you will be loved."_

The cafeteria swirled with people, strange electricity buzzing in the swarm of life. Whispers and tension felt for the show scheduled by a cruel beauty. In walked the two players, each warring for the sake of confrontation, for things so deep inside of their selves that they didn't see or understand. Attention, purpose. Proof that they lived was in the fact all eyes were on them.

She took a deep breath in her emptiness. _"I cannot pretend I felt any regret. Each broken heart will eventually mend. As the blood runs red down the needle and thread someday you will be loved."_

Double D had long since left the music room, thundering with the silence that had settled since the crash, the yell and the pain. Instead, his feet took him without the normal movement of his busy mind. Instead of flurried thoughts, there was stillness, empty nothing, a lack of answers for unspoken questions. Simply movement took him down the ocean of students.

_"You'll be loved, you'll beloved like you never have known. And the memories of me will seem more like bad dreams. Just a series of blurs…like I never occurred… Someday you will be loved."_ Her fingertips throbbed with each note; the feeling had disappeared long ago.

Emily watched Eddy and Tony as they walked into the cafeteria from opposite sides. Her group around her could hardly contain themselves, just waiting for what the two men would do. Tony came at Eddy quickly, a tray provided by a friend already in hand. Eddy however was there alone. His friends had disappeared. Those thoughts faded as he ducked low, dodging the swung food. If Ed was here, if Double D…

"Double D!" Eddy cheered, dashing over to his friend as he walked into the cafeteria. Maybe it was the glare of the light in his glasses, but something looked off in those brown eyes of his. But Eddy's situation was dire. "Why don't you get behind Tony and then I can shove him over you?"

"I abhor violence, Eddy." Double D said dully, not moving any part of his self, still looking ahead.

"Even your slave doesn't want to help you!" Tony laughed. "Even he doesn't think you can do it."

"Double D, c'mon." Eddy urged. Edd's head finally moved, looking down at Eddy, Marie's story replaying in his mind. "Get in there already! Do something."

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"Exactly as I said, Eddy. No. I am not your slave or your lackey." He stepped back from him. "Your lies and scams are your problem now. It's time you reap what you sow." He backed up back through the door, watching Eddy's shocked expression before turning and walking down the hallway. The clamor that resulted in the cafeteria made him swallow hard. Eddy had no concern for where he had disappeared to, hadn't asked him anything about his day, never did any of those things with sincerity. Not even having seen him for a minuet and Eddy was already begging him to break his values. Already trying to throw him in to clean up his messes and keep his horrible lies going. Suddenly, Eddy rushed after him, covered in food. He tackled Double D to the hallway floor.

"How could you just abandon me like that in there?!" He asked, gripping Double D's shirt. "Now everyone thinks I'm nothing!" Eddy was panting from his sprint, but also from rage. Emily would never talk to him, and all his effort put into his new reputation was ruined! All because of Double D. He had probably planned it from the beginning.

"Why do you need everyone's approval?" Double D said after a few moments of silence. New truths were noticed as he searched Eddy's anger filled eyes. "Why do you need them to validate who you are? If you're so great why do you need anyone at all? Doesn't it bother you that you try to live on lies, Eddy? Do you hate your self so much that you want everyone to only know a story instead? Aren't Ed and I enough?"

"...What?" Eddy asked, not seeming to have really understood what Double D has been saying. He also seemed to have no intention of getting off so something harsh had to be done.

"Eddy, please get off of me. I would like you not to speak to me for the next few days until you realize what you've been doing."

"If I don't speak to you how are we supposed to do anything?" Double D only stared at him and slowly it dawned on Eddy. "Are you saying you don't want to be my friend anymore?" He asked in laughing disbelief.

"At least until you realize that you cannot treat people you care about this way."

"You can't do that." He laughed. "Who are you going to hang out with then? Huh Sock head?" Double D's flat expression turned into annoyance and to Eddy's surprise he was pushed off.

"I am not so inept that I could not find a new companion. I already have someone who's volunteered her company to me."

"Yea, probably that ugly Marie Kanker." Eddy said, getting up too, only to be greeted by Double D wagging a finger in his face, his eyes narrowed.

"I'll have you know that there is more depth and strength in her than you'll ever have. She brought to my attention that you have been a horrible friend to Ed and I for the past years. I am only sorry that I hadn't noticed until now. I beg you to learn how to treat people or not speak to me anymore."

"You don't really mean that." Eddy said, moving his friend's finger from his face, but all laughter had faded. He actually looked worried.

"I mean it, Eddy." He took a deep breath, the realization of the situation finally really hitting home when he saw the hurt on his friend's face. "I can't find out anything about myself if I let you lead my life, and I cannot let you use me any longer. When you find out how to treat a friend, please find me. Goodbye, Eddy."

Eddy watched Double D turn and began to walk away before yelling "You'll be back!" To which the only reply was Double D walking outside. "I give it a day!"

_"You may feel alone when you're falling asleep and every time tears roll down your cheeks. But I know your heart belongs to someone you've yet to meet. Someday you will be loved."_ She had her eyes closed, so she didn't notice his approach. _"You'll be loved, you'll be loved like you never have known. And the memories of me will seem more like bad dreams. Just a series of blurs, like I never occurred. Someday you will be loved."_

"I never get tired of the sound of your voice." Derek smiled at her from the side of the bleacher, resting his chin on the level she was sitting. Marie smiled down at him and swallowed the dryness away from her lips and throat before putting the guitar down and hopping over the railing, landing in his arms. He was a junior, tall and handsome with side spiked black hair and equally dark clothes accented only with silver chain. He spun her gently before putting her down. "Long day?"

"You could say that again." She sighed, pulling her instrument and zip up case from the metal bleachers and putting it away. However, she was having trouble looking Derek in the face. Was this shame? No. Worse. Guilt. But guilt for what?

"Something on yer mind?" He asked, wrapping an arm around her hip.

"Yea. I uh haven't seen Lee or May. They must still be at their secret club." She dismissed, slinging the bag on her shoulder, but froze when she saw Double D approach from across the field. "I'll be right back, Der." She said, not taking her eyes from the approaching figure. Without waiting for Derek's reply she went on to meet Edd half way.

"Marie…" He said once they both stopped. "I wish to apologize for my words."

"Don't. They're true." She shrugged, but still studied him. "What do you want?"

The question had Double D looking at his hands, folded in front of himself. "To ask for your forgiveness and…ask for advice." Marie couldn't help but to smile, feeling the dark cloud in her chest clear away.

"Go home after school and make something just for you. You made some pretty cool stuff for other people, so if you made somethin' just for you I think it'd be even cooler." She said calmly, putting a hand on his shoulder before snickering. "How's your face, by the way?"

"Oh uh-" He looked up, some of his self returning from the confrontation earlier that day. "It's alright. I suppose I deserved it."

"Who's this?" Derek asked over Marie's shoulder. She froze for a second before looking back at him.

"Derek, this is uh-my _friend_. Double D." Derek's eyes scanned this friend who blushed when he heard the title she had applied to his name.

"Double D, this is Derek. My boyfriend." D swallowed hard at that, looking up at Derek. Why was that such a shock, that Marie might move on and find someone eventually? And he was rather impressive. From his findings, it was extremely hard for students to date outside of their peer group. Even harder for people from their peer group to...never mind. He shook his head.

"I was just asking Marie for some advice with a problem that was just fully brought to my attention." Double D explained politely, trying not to sound intimidated or awkward.

"Cool, well we made plans to skip last period. So I guess we'll see you around." Derek smiled at Double D. Through D's observations, however, he knew that the way Derek had said his words, and how he was now standing over Marie with his arm across her shoulders, it was clear he was stating his territory.

"Well…" He swallowed, looking at his feet in the grass. "I suppose I should be on my way. Thank you for your time." He smiled at them both and turned to leave.

"Anytime you wanna talk, just find me." She called after him, loving the irony that visibly hit the boy as his shoulders hunched for a moment.

"Thank you, Marie." He turned and said with sincerity before walking back to the school alone.

She watched him go, but her smile faded as she whispered the last line to herself _"Someday you will be loved."_

Eddy walked through the hallway, and for the first time he was numb to the actions of those around him. He didn't hear their comments or notice as they pointed and laughed at his food covered appearance. The embarrassment of lunch faded behind a creeping feeling of abandonment. His eyes glanced up at the rest of the student population, feeling even smaller today. Without Double D and Ed…then who was he really?

Because once upon a time there was a little boy with a great gift inside of him…He belonged to a mother and to a father and an older brother too. He looked to his family for guidance. What was he supposed to do with this gift inside of himself?

"Social status is everything, sweetie." His mother would tell him. She spent all her time over her friend's houses, holding tea parties, going to PTA meetings. "People's opinions matter. You must entertain and satisfy them, and then you will be respected." Surly that was true, for she was highly regarded in the community. She spoke and people listened, but she only spoke of things she was proud of, so his name never passed her lips to her friends…So he listened, and that was what he knew. The little boy went to his father and asked him the same thing.

"Money makes the man, son. It makes the world go round." Surly that was true. His father loved his own money so much. He resorted to any low deal he could to earn it at his used car dealership. And the money that he brought in, the gifts he bought for his wife made them both so happy. "People respect a man with money. Women only love a man with money." So he listened, and that was what he knew. The little boy went to his brother and asked him the same thing.

"People are stupid. They're just losers, suckers for the taking. You have to have them underfoot. You have to be the best to matter. You only count if you have people under you. Respect from fear is everything." Surly that was true. His brother was so good at getting people to follow him. He was the very best at what he did, and his parents lavished love on that older brother and would often forget their youngest. So he listened, and that was what he knew. The little boy knew everything he'd need for a…meaningful…love-filled life. Social status, money and respect from fear. His three disciplines ingrained forever.

So he grew and never knew what love really was, for that was never part of the lesson. He grew and never realized what that gift was, for he was too busy trying to prove to his family that he could do the things they taught him. Then they would see him. They would notice him. They would love him then.

And then two people came into his life, who asked absolutely nothing from him. They never told him he must have money, or social status, or power. But…he didn't know how to respond to this type of attention. All he knew were the teachings from his family, so he used his brother's disciplines on those two caring friends in order to achieve the two things his parents held closest.

On their shoulders, he tried to stand taller and, at least in fleeting moments, he found importance there. When he was leading them, he felt he really truly was alive. He existed. He belonged. With their help, he would achieve his parents love. And he was thankful! He was! But how could he show it? How do you say words you were never ever taught? _Aren't Ed and I enough?_ Were they? What if he never gained the recognition of his family, could he live with that if it meant keeping two people who only asked him to be himself and nothing more?

His mind turned to his latch key friend. He could imagine how hard that must be, but how much worse is it to have parents there who paid you fleeting acknowledgment? It is far better to not have your parents around all the time, and enjoy the few times of loving company, than have parents who had more important things to do, a better son to love.

He thought about his babysitting friend who was left too often with the job of taking care of his little sister. Despite having more responsibility than he should, that friend still managed to hold onto innocents, and maybe he had mastered the art of escapism. His imagination helped color the dark spots. He wished he had that blissful ignorance. That all consuming imagination. Before Eddy knew it, he was outside the school, sitting on the steps. A few dark clouds began to gather overhead. Strangely enough, the rain that poured down felt pretty good as it washed the food from him, today's shame.

Somewhere in the darkness there was maniacal laughter which sent shivers down Ed's spine. He'd have screamed out, but the ducked tape over his mouth was super industrial, leaving him to just make throaty noises in fear. May and Lee giggled as they lead him through the dimly lit corridor of dirt that seemed to lead downwards endlessly through the earth. Down and down it went, each step erasing a little bit more of the hope of escape. Once or twice he tried to turn and dash back up the tunnel, but the light from the closet they original came through was gone at this point, just darkness on either side.

He was soon pulled to a stop before a wall of darkness. Out of the darkness came a man's hand that touched a quivering shoulder. Ed's imagination working over time to imagine all the horrible monsters that might be just beyond the dark veil.

"Welcome, my dear boy." came the voice of the same man that must have been laughing insanely before. "I think you will enjoy your stay here." And the hand pulled him into the darkness. The tape was pulled away and Ed screamed.

"DON'TEATMYMARROWANDDESTROYMYBRAINSWITHMUTANTPOTATOCHIPS!! I'LLBEAGOODBOY!" Lights came on suddenly and there was laughter. Here, underground, there was a large arcade, and in the corner was a comic book store! And to the right there was a large dance floor, and were kids dirt biking on the mounds of dirt in the back? He turned to the man next to him. He wore a regular light blue sweater vest over white button up shirt and blue tie. He wore regular khakis and had his brown-grey hair slicked back a little.

"May has told me a lot about you, Ed." He smiled, putting an arm around May who was a lot prettier than Ed remembered. Her greasy stained clothes were replaced by a red and grey track suit, her hip-length blonde hair tied back in a braid.

"This is our new dad, Ed." She beamed, arms hugged around the man. "He saved us from that stinking trailer park."

"He's filthy rich." Lee spoke up. She still favored a ridiculous up do with all her thick red hair, but wore better clothes. She still held that attitude, but it was much more controlled and refined.

"High school really is a place of magic!" Ed cheered before dashing out into the arcade on his way to the comic book store section, only to find out that you didn't have to spend money at all! It was a comic book library!

The man turned to Lee. "So when do we meet the other two?"

"Marie's got herself a new man, and Eddy's too busy humping that prep-princess's leg. I'll wait till he's real low and go in for the kill." He patted Lee's head.

"Just like I taught you. Good girl." He turned to May. "Why don't you go have fun with your little friend? I would really like to go meet these other gentlemen."

"Ok daddy!" She gave him another squeeze before going out into the group of kids.

Double D was trying to concentrate on the last class of the day, but his mind kept wandering. High school had certainly lived up to it's reputation in being a place where things change, but he never anticipated that things would change so quickly, or drastically. His thoughts were interrupted when the teacher touched his shoulder gently.

"The guidance counselor would like to see you." She said sweetly, but with a little concern. That concern passed to D quickly.

"Oh dear, I hope everything is alright." What if something happened to Mother and Father? Or worse…what if something happened to Eddy? Oh the horrible things he said to him! Double D hopped up quickly from his seat and rushed to the counselor's office and turned his normal counselor Mrs. Violet but she politely told him it was the head counselor that had summoned him.

Double D swallowed hard, looking at the large wooden door. The head counselor? Surely this was something very very serious. He gently knocked on the door.

"Come in, I would like to have a word with you." Called the voice from the other side. He slowly turned the handle and stepped into the dimly lit room. It smelled heavy with orange furniture polish and dust, some of it visible as it fluttered through the beam of light made from the lamp on the corner of the man's desk. There behind the desk sat a man, his elbows resting on the desk, his hands folded in front of his face. Grey brown hair was slicked back, hints of blue in the darkly lit room. His name plaque reading Dr. Alexander Gravis. Double D's heart nearly stopped when he saw the man's sinister smile.

"I've been looking forward to meeting you for a very long time…"


	5. Chapter 5

Survey the Social

**Survey the Social**

Chapter five.

"So what'cha reading, Ed?" May asked, peering over his shoulder. She smelled like vanilla cupcakes which made him turn quickly.

"This is one where…" He faded off, studying her. "Do I have something on my face?"

May giggled and gently took the book from him. "No, I was just thinking about how cute you are when you ramble on about comic books. Did you miss me when I left?" She asked, inching closer every inch Ed made backwards.

"Nope!" He grinned stupidly as May's happy expression faded.

"Not even a little bit?" She pouted. Ed swallowed, he hated to see girls sad and it looked like she could burst into tears at any moment. All his ingrained teaching about how boys should never make girls cry were fighting against his instincts to keep May far far away.

"Uh-" Ed reached beside him for anything that might cheer her up, his hand grabbing hold of issue 89 of Giant Mothboys: Attack of the Butterfly Girls! "For you!" May took the comic and studied the cover before hugging the issue close.

"I've got something for you too, Ed." She beamed, watching as sweat rolled down the boy's face. "Don't worry, it won't hurt." With that, she pulled from her pocket a needle and thrust it into his arm and emptied the contents quickly.

"That wasn't…"Ed tried to say before stumbling backwards into the comic shelf, causing an avalanche of comic books as he collapsed to the floor. May grabbed his foot and with all her strength pulled him to the very back of the cavern where there was a door that read 'Employees Only.'

It had been raining for a few moments when Eddy noticed two people running to a car parked in the parking lot. A boy and girl, a guitar case on the girl's back and blue-"Hey!" He jumped up and ran after them, catching Marie's wrist right before she got into the car. Derek gently took Marie's guitar to put it in the car. He knew Marie could hold her own, and would get offended if he jumped in right away

"Eddy. What do you want?" She asked, no kindness in her tone.

"You're the one that messed with Double D's head, aren't you?!" He glared as rain plastered his black hair to his face. "He doesn't want to be my friend anymore because of you!"

"No, he doesn't want to be your friend because of how you've treated him all these years, you tool." She jerked her hand away, her words dripping with cruel disgust. "The way you act, you deserve to be alone." With a growl of frustration, Eddy pushed Marie against the car as thunder rumbled over the horizon.

"You only told him all those lies so you can finally get in his pants, and you know it." Eddy growled, the glaring hatred she saw in his eyes made her swallow, but not soften her stance. "He never wanted anything to do with you filthy Kankers because he has me and Ed. I'm not going to let you ruin our friendship, you-"

"That's enough." Derek said, pulling Eddy off of Marie. "Why don't you run back to your middle school if you can't get over petty little shit? So what if your friend ditched you? It happens to everyone. Cry about it or grow some balls." With that he pushed Eddy away, watching as he faltered and fell into a puddle. "C'mon, babe." Derek put his hand on Marie's shoulder and she smiled at Derek before giving Eddy a glance filled with pity. She and Derek shared something in the car's warmth that made them laugh and took off out of the parking lot, leaving Eddy seething in the water.

Rage filled him. He was so used to that burning heat in his belly that made the muscles of his arms and neck bunch, but this was too much. Embarrassment in front of the girl he wanted to win, abandonment of his friends, then this disgrace…short, pathetic, useless, invisible. He grabbed a rock from the ground and stood, hurling it through the nearest parked car's window. When the satisfying crash was heard, Eddy picked up another rock and aimed for the windshield. It felt so good, to release this unbridled emotion, this rage. Each swing of a found piece of glass, each rock thrown was the face of someone who laughed at him, words that repeated in his mind. You're nothing, you're nothing, you're nothing, you're nothing, you're nothing. Now you're all alone. You deserve it. Pathetic.

With the help of broken glass, tires were slashed, paint was carved into, doors and hoods were dented and no windows were left to protect the expensive interior from the thunder storm. As Eddy panted and looked at the result of his fury he didn't notice his hand was bleeding from how hard he was squeezing the piece of glass. The only thing that existed was the pounding of his heart and the adrenalin in his veins. Tossing the glass aside, Eddy stuffed his hands in his pockets and started to walk home in the freezing rain.

Marie couldn't help but to glance into the side mirror. She couldn't help but to feel sorry for Eddy. She knew what it was like to be isolated from someone you wanted companionship from. To be isolated from Double D.

"Hey, don't worry about that loser." Derek assured her as he drove. "If he ever touches you again, I'll pound his face in. Promise." He said with a smile. She didn't look his way or respond so he sighed. "And don't feel sorry for him. Everyone in that school knows he's a grade A asshole."

"If anything happens to him though…" She said, her voice distant as Marie continued to watch the rain spattered scenery.

"It wouldn't be you fault."

"No. Double D would be devastated." Why did her mouth feel dry whenever she'd mention him in front of Derek? Why did she feel trapped here in this car? His car was a place where they'd go on drives just to be out and feel alive. Where they laughed and talked and loved.

"That guy from before? Since when did you start caring about people so much?"

"I'm allowed to care about people." She snapped before knowing what she was saying. Derek's lighthearted expression hardened and he drove in silence. "Der, I'm sorry. I've just. I've got a ton on my mind ok? There's you know, school, and you, and the café."

"And that Double guy, right?" He asked, not glancing her way.

"Don't be stupid. You know all those songs I wrote about him and everything. You know the story. It's finished. I've got you now." She looked his way and he sighed, glancing at her.

"Can you blame me for being worried? You've got to be the coolest, most amazing girl I've ever met. Not to mention you bring more costumers to my dad's café than any other act we ever found."

"Good thing I know you're not dating me just for that reason. If you were, I'd have to gut you." She smiled at him.

"Then I'll make sure you never find out." He smiled back. There was nothing unusual about that line of dialog between them. However, today, she wondered if that was really the only reason.

The café was a small place in New Harbor, the nearest urban area. It was a tiny place, constructed with mostly deep red woods. It gave it something like a cabin feel which contrasted with the fancy coffee machines behind the hardwood counter, the flat screen tvs and sophisticated speaker and performance equipment on the small hardwood stage. It was Marie's second home, here with Derek and his father, Mr. Marner. Today it felt empty.

Double D swallowed hard, trying not to let his imagination get the best of him. This was a guidance counselor, not some insidious movie villain. Honestly. He was obviously spending too much time with Ed.

"Indeed, Eddward. I have reviewed your records and feel that you are out of place in 9th grade." That was a gross understatement, Double D thought. "That is why I'm referring you for a grade advance. Would you like that?"

"You mean I could be a sophomore?" He gasped.

"I was thinking junior perhaps. Your test scores beat out most of our seniors, I'm sorry to say." Gravis smiled. "I think you would be a great example for other academically inclined students here. Besides, I'm sure you've noticed the animalistic behavior of these _children_." His eyes falling on the composition book in Double D's hands. D quickly hid it behind his back.

"It has caught my attention, yes. But junior…that's a very large leap. Are you sure I'm ready for such-such responsibility?"

"Please. Even then, I'm sure everything would be cake walk for you, my boy." His piercing eyes were locked on Double D's. "I _know_ you're more than capable."

"But my friends." Double D stepped back. "If I graduate early-"

"You mean the other boys with the same name you hang out with? Please tell me you're joking. What were you planning on doing when you graduated? Pack them up in your suitcase and hide them under your bed? You know as well as I do that you'd have to come to this point sooner or later. Eddward…" He stood and walked out from behind the desk to put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You were made to make a difference, to help humanity. Your friends… well…they're made for lower middle class and suburban life. You know I'm speaking true."

Double D looked to the floor. Sure this thought had come up once or twice, but he always assumed that day was so far away and he didn't need to let it bother him yet. And despite his fight with Eddy earlier that day, and the things Marie had said…those boys were his childhood, or what little bit there of. Even…even if Eddy was a jerk sometimes, he was still his friend. Was he ready to take such a step forward?

"I…I need time to think about this." Double D said, looking up at Dr. Gravis. "It is a big decision."

"I understand, but I have another offer. I would like you to help me out here in my office, if you could. I think there's a lot that you might learn here that will further your studies." He handed Double D back his composition book, which he wasn't even aware the Dr. Gravis had taken.

"What-How did you…?"

Dr. Gravis laughed. "Go on now, and give our discussion lots of thought." He patted Double D on the back and sat on his desk, watching the boy leave. Once he was gone he checked his watch. "May should have Ed ready by now." Grabbed his jacket and left for the secret passage that lead deep under the school.

It the darkness he knew the way, his hand trailing along a railing till two metal doors came to his weathered hands. Gravis opened them slowly to blinding white. It was a long hallway, the white making walls, floor and ceiling blend together in a long bright corridor of light. One door, two doors, there. The third on the left. The examination room. He opened the reflective doors, catching a glimpse of his own sinister grin as he did. Inside was more bright white, and a table with a sleeping Ed on it, and May standing by his side.

"Here he is, Daddy." She smiled at him. "And you're gunna make him like me?"

"I'll consider it, dear." He gently petted his step daughter's head. "Have I told you how beautiful you've grown?" She only giggled in response. "Track meeting is in ten minuets, you should hurry along now." She hugged him and before she left he called after her "Remember, this is our little secret."

"You got it!" She smiled and waved, her long blonde braid following behind. Dr. Gravis was thankful that May was such a mindless child. When she found out about everything, he was afraid he'd have to kill her, but she so far had been the best assistant he could have wished for. All May needed to be happy was a little male attention, and he gave it to her and in return she gave him endless unquestioned loyalty.

Lee and Marie are completely different stories, and he hopped that they would never come to know what was really going on. Lee helped bring kids to the 'hideout' and thought it was just that. A hideout. He even made up some ridiculous under ground resistance story to keep her from wanting to know more. Bottom line was he was her new father and he paid her a good allowance. When she became irate, he would remind Lee that it was he that saved them from the trailer park and should be respected. That was enough to get at least some compliance. Marie had no idea, which was for the best. She out of the three of them would want the most answers.

"Where was I?" Gravis said to the unconscious Ed. "Sometimes, I swear, I could let my thoughts wander all day." He turned to a tray filled with an array of cutting and extracting tools. "Oh yes. I remember now." His hand reached for a scalpel and the shining chrome and white changed to spotted red.

Double D sighed, opening the dark house and out of habit called "I'm home," even though he knew no one was there. Today had been quite a long day; his head spun just trying to contemplate all of it. After a small, sensible after school snack, Edd went up stairs to his room to take Marie's advice, to make something just for himself. He had to admit, he couldn't remember the last time he ever tried to invent for his own pleasure and not Eddy's schemes. As rain continued to pour outside his window, he sat in the grey light and started to draft out a design. Something great, something made just for him.

It was about 8 when he looked up at the clock. "My, how time flies." He said to himself as he stood and stretched. Instead of going for something to eat, Double D grabbed an umbrella and his rain jacket and walked over to Eddy's house. The door bell rang and he waited patiently for an answer.

"Oh hello, Double D." Eddy's mother greeted. He tried not to cringe at the woman's horrible abuse of makeup.

"Hello, Ma'am. Is Eddy home?"

"He's not with you? I suppose he's probably out in that garbage heap." She crossed her arms, not seeming to notice the worried look on Double D's face.

"Has he called in or anything at all?"

"Last time I saw him was when I had to throw him out of his bed this morning. I swear that boy is the laziest thing I have ever seen."

"Thank you for your time." He said politely before leaving. Double D didn't have much time to fret though, before Eddy came walking down the street, eyes on the pavement, hands in his pockets, shivering and completely soaked. "Eddy!" In his haste, D dropped his umbrella.

Eddy looked up and to his surprise was embraced by Double D. "What do you want, traitor?" Double D took off his raincoat and put it around his friend's shoulders.

"What were you thinking walking home in this storm?" Eddy let him take him to D's house to get dry. He didn't want to go home just yet and hear his mother's nagging anyways. In moments, Eddy was handed a towel and a set of dry clothes. Sleepovers were still normal, so it wasn't strange to have spare outfits at each other's houses.

"I thought you hated my guts or something." Eddy said, wondering if this was some sort of trap.

"We'll discuss this later, go get changed before you catch pneumonia." Double D said, ushering Eddy to the bathroom before going to make tomato soup for the both of them. He had just finished pouring the soup into two bowls when he heard Eddy come out of the bathroom.

Eddy was still shivering at the table, even though he was dry. Double D placed his bowl in front of Eddy and then took his seat on the other side of the dining table. "About this afternoon, Eddy. I apologize."

"You should." Eddy said through chattering teeth. "I really needed you back there and you just bailed."

"You did not let me tell you what I was apologizing for." Double D scolded. "I am sorry for having talked to you about this issue at a bad time for you. I do not apologize for what I said. Only my timing."

"What?"

Double D sighed. "Eddy…" Suddenly Gravis' words came flooding back to him and he looked down at his soup. "I found out today that they want to advance me to 11th grade." All of a sudden he wasn't very hungry.

"What really?! That's awesome! You can get your license and your folks will get you a car and-"

"And I'll graduate early and leave the cul-de-sac and go to college." He said, looking Eddy in the eyes. Silence followed after that. Eddy swallowed and looked at that table, noticing Double D's sad expresission in the polished surface.

"You told them no, right?" He asked, looking up.

"I said I would consider it." Eddy stood at that and turned from the table. "Wait! Eddy please, sit."

"And talk about what?" He asked, going to point but flinched at the pain in his right hand. He opened it slowly to notice the gash in his palm. Double D cupped Eddy's injured hand and wordlessly lead him to the bathroom and pulled out the first aid kit. Eddy did all he could to push back all the memories of Double D bandaging his and Ed's wounds back in the day. Far off summers… Even the sting of the antiseptic didn't seem to register on his face. "Do you really want to leave us?" He asked, finally looking at Double D who was slowly wrapping a bandage around Eddy's hand.

"Of course not." He whispered sadly, his hands shaking, making for a sloppy bandaging job. He took it off and tried again. "But…" He swallowed the lump in his throat. "It would be good for my future. Mother and Father would be very pleased."

"Fine." Eddy said, taking back his hand even though the wrapping wasn't finished yet. "Then Ed and me, we'll enjoy being teenagers while you rush off to be an old lonely man."

"Eddy, what difference does it make this year or two down the road? This problem will always remain. I-I can't. I want to _do_ things, and that might mean…"

"The difference is two years, Double D. Even I can do _that_ math." There was a short length of silence before Eddy felt arms wrap around him, and a face nestle into his shoulder. "What's been going on with you, Sock head?" He asked, rubbing Double D's back, noticing he was damp from the rain and grabbed a towel and draped it over his friend. It wasn't extraordinarily unusual for Double D to cry, he was a pretty sensitive guy, but there was something different this time. There was a desperation shared somehow…It made Eddy feel a little uneasy.

"Please tell me I'm more than a lackey to you." Double D sobbed.

"You're way more than that. Hey hey look at me." He gently pulled himself from Double D and looked him in the face. "No matter what scam we're pulling, or what part I have you playin' you're always my best friend. Don't let _anyone_ tell you anything else, ok?"

Double D nodded and smiled, hugging Eddy close. "I can't say no to you." He whispered.

Eddy blushed, strangely enough, and searched for something to change the subject. "So uh what did you do with mono-brow during school?"

"Ed? I thought he was with you." Double D let him go.

"No, I thought you told him not to hang out with me or something. I haven't seen him all day."

"Oh dear, I suppose I should call his house." Seconds later, his call was answered by Ed's mother who held the phone on her shoulder as she surfed for new clothes for Sara.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Ma'am. This is Eddward. I was wondering of Ed was home."

"Yea, he's down stairs, loafing like always. If you two come over, please don't make a mess."

"Of course not, Ma'am, thank you."

"So is he home?" Eddy asked. Double D nodded, relieved. "Good, let's go over Lumpy's and watch some movies."

"You don't want to discuss this..?" Why did Double D still feel there were words left unsaid?

"I think we just need to hang out for a little bit. You know, remind you why you've been hanging around us for most of your life."

That night, as the storm continued, the three of them enjoyed horror movies, ate enormous amounts of junk food and forgot their age. Ed acted no different from his normal self, and Eddy was glad to see Double D relax.

But as the hours went along, Eddward found he couldn't sleep. Eddy and Ed were fast asleep in front of the tv. His friends. His true friends. How could he have let Marie's words get to him so much? What did she know about a friendship like this? He pulled blankets up around them only to notice an odd dot of red near Ed's hair line.

"Peculiar." He inched closer to notice that there as a thin, freshly sewn incision that ran from behind Ed's ear, down along the curve of his head to the base of his neck and to the other ear. It seemed to be closed by some sort of flesh toned medical glue of sorts, even carefully camouflaged to match the rest of Ed's pimpled and freckled skin.

Something weird was going on…

A/N: Ow. Hands… hurt. Well here it is, sorry it took so long. Finals are here and I'm trying to keep up with all the work. I've been in a drawing mood too, recently. So, feel free to skip on over to my deviantart account and check out some stuff I'll be sure to draw for the story. jao.

Anyone play GaiaOnline? I'm jaokolad over there. Send me a PM and I'll send you snippits of chapters as I go.

As far as the fic goes, I'm glad we're finally at the meat of the plot. I got kinda wrapped up in setting up the characters and setting and conflicts that I took forever to get to the real action. It's funny, but I hate movies like that. I promise the next fic will do that faster. Hopefully in the next chapter I will have more then two people talking to each other at once! Promise.

3,681 words, 9 pages. No wonder my knuckles feel like I've punched a wall.


	6. Genre change: horror Rating: M

A/N: If you haven't noticed, I've finally settled on a genre for this story which is now horror and suspense. I apologize for taking so long to develop and set up the plot and setting. I haven't written fiction in so very long… If you are squeamish, you might not want to read. I will probably have to up the rating after this.

**Survey the Social**

Chapter six.

By that time the next day, Double D figured that whatever it was that he thought he saw was all just a dream. That mysterious line in Ed's skin was gone the next day. Surly it was just the horror movies and his slumberous mind playing tricks on him. However, a feeling of dread stayed perched on his shoulder for the next four weeks. A feeling that hovers just over the skin that warns of trouble. No matter what he told himself, the feeling just refused to go away. All of which made working in Dr. Gravis' office all the more challenging. Thankfully the doctor wasn't too disappointed when Double D politely turned down the offer to advance his grade.

"I expected as much, but I must say I'm a little disappointed, boy."

As Dr. Gravis had promised, Double D had learned a great deal about social behavior while working in his office for an hour or two after school, and in between classes when he could. The papers he had to copy, the reports he typed as Gravis dictated, all of them showed great insight into social behavior of the typical high school student.

It was strange, but Eddward was pleasantly surprised to find that no student fit exactly into just one social group. Sure they had the circles that they chose to socialize in, but every person had a secret attraction to another social circle which was taboo to the group they belonged in. Why was that such an intriguing, surprising find? Double D wasn't quite sure. Regardless, he now had five composition books on the matter, filled with notes on just about every student in their class and notes on many others as well. All except other kids from Peach Creek. Why add notes on them? He knew them better than any other kid in the school. Double D was just after new information, after all.

As for Emily, she never spoke to Eddy after his humiliation in the cafeteria, but it was all the better because Eddy had a new booming business, and surprisingly, it was legit. He sold student supplies out of his locker, and sure enough, between classes he always had a crowd, asking to buy pens, pencils, notebooks and so on for great bargains. Especially since they all came from the surplus supply at Double D's house. He even agreed to split the profits with Double D at 10/90. 90 percent going to Eddy of course.

Ed disappeared often during the day. Neither Eddy nor Double D knew where he would go, but the big oaf would be there in the morning, and then show up in time to go to the buses. Double D was concerned about it and at one point worked up the gull to check Ed's student records to find, to his great surprise, that Ed was achieving A's in all his classes. Perhaps this was tied to that unnerving feeling that D just couldn't shake? Ed's grades were unusual, but certainly no danger. He should be proud of his friend's new intellect, not suspicious of it. But... Ed didn't _act_ any different. How could a new appreciation of the scholastic come without an outward change? How could one babble about nonsense and yet receive an A in math, even if that class was remedial? Double D soon recalled the memory of that suspicious, cleverly, skillfully hidden incision he _thought_ he saw on his friend.

"Would you like to talk about whatever has your thoughts so entertained?" Dr. Gravis asked, snapping Double D from his glazed stare at the screen and he quickly closed the window on the computer, turning and trying to look as innocent as he could. Faking when caught was never one of his strong suits.

"Don't worry, boy. I'm not going to report you for sneaking into the school's database." The man's weathered hand patted the stocking hat on the young man's head. "No one should ever be punished for having an inquisitive mind. However…" He bent down to whisper "Some improvements should just be counted as blessings and left at that, hmm?" He stood, chuckling at the boy's trembling frame. "I have a meeting to go to. Please watch the office while I'm away?"

"Of course." Double D said, watching the counselor leave. Once he was gone, D's fingers were back on the keyboard. Sure there were moral codes against this, he was fully aware of the angel version of himself on his shoulder scolding him. However, he reasoned it was for the sake of his studies. The school's database was extensive. Grades and backgrounds, so much information.

Why do jocks act as they do? There must be ties that go deeper than their likes and dislikes. It goes to the family, to the parents, to the parents' parents. But even these parents didn't always follow a straight pattern which made the study even that more complex. How do you get a nerd from an athletic mother and a popular father? What happens to determine where we'll stand for the rest of our lives? At what point do we define ourselves as a certain type of person?

There were hundreds of examples for him to look at till his eyes fell on his own parents' records. Victoria and Angel Santos. There he read a brief report on their backgrounds. Mother from a wealthy family, father from a family who immigrated to America from Spain three generations ago. Not that any of the kids seemed to notice Double D's ethnicity, partly from the fact that his father knew close to no Spanish, and he inherited his mother's speech patterns and her features except his father's broader nose and deep black hair. Rolf helped keep the kids satisfied with their need for ethnic balance and no one seemed to care to know each other's last names. Except the Kankers…of course.

But other than that…there was no other information on his parents. No occupation, no information on his grandparents. Now that he thought of it, his mother and father never mentioned grandparents…and what _did_ they do for a living again? He hadn't seen them for some time since they come home so late. Why was it so hard to recall? Maybe because he hadn't given it any thought for so long. All he knew was once he reached 13 they hardly came home at all and he just accepted it. It was unsettling.

To help alleviate his growing worry, Double D went to search Eddy's family information to find similar results. The names of Eddy's mother, father and brother, a brief sentence on each and nothing more. Yet any other student in the school had whole pages of information on parents and grandparents, their occupations, income, everything. This would call for more investigation…

Oh but if you could only hear that angel on his shoulder cry. If you could have heard its sweet unheard begging, you might have been able to stop him, but Double D was always one to lose himself in the pursuit of knowledge. Why was the information about the families of the cul-de-sac children missing? The words reflected in his glasses were so consuming as he followed a trail of knowledge. A reference here, a hint there, it was so intoxicating that Double D hadn't noticed that he had stumbled off the school's database and onto Dr. Gravis' personal files. The angel on his shoulder was in tears, begging on tiny angelic knees, tugging on an unhearing ear. Why couldn't he hear him?

Eddy was trying to calm everyone down. The crowd around his locker was getting too big and he was having trouble keeping everyone back and in a line. Where was Ed when you needed him? "Alright, everyone get back! One at a time, geez!"

"The next bell is in a minuet!" Came the first cry before they all started to surge towards his opened locker, only for a hand to reach through the crowd and slam it shut before the enraged students could steal Eddy blind. It took the bell to get them all to clear leaving just a disheveled Eddy and Kevin leaning against the locker.

"Sorry, I'm closed." Eddy said, fixing his shirt. "Come back next break."

"That's the kinda thanks I get for saving your butt?" Kevin asked, crossing his arms. "If I didn't step in, you'd be back on your face." Oooh Eddy knew that mischievous, cocky grin on the red head's face.

"So what do you want? A badge? I gotta go to class." Eddy started to walk off before being stopped and pulled hard against the locker.

"Well, I guess you could pay me back."

"Oh don't worry, Kevin. I plan on paying you back for everything you've done." Eddy said with clear hate on his face. But the cocky grin on Kevin's face faded a little and he sighed, cutting to the chase.

"Nazz's birthday's coming up and I wanna get her something really good, you know? I'm a little short."

"Forget it." Eddy said, pulling away. "Get your own money." It was almost Nazz's birthday? Eddy made a note to get her something himself. Especially if there was a chance that jerk-Kevin might not be able to get her anything. He'd look like a hero, and showing up Kevin would be a double plus.

"I'm not askin for all of it, just some." Kevin insisted, grabbing Eddy again. "I could be a total jerk and just beat you up and take all of it. C'mon. It's for Nazz." This had to be some kind of trick. Kevin was showing some mercy? And.. it _was_ for Nazz, and sure, Eddy could make back the money in no time, plus some. But it was _Kevin_. Why should he help Kevin of all people?! It was when angel Double D appeared on his shoulder that Eddy finally sighed.

"How much are you talking about?"

"Like twenty. I guess I could pay you back later."

"Twenty five percent interest." Eddy grinned, pulling out his wallet.

"Yea sure, whatever. I gotta get it after school."

"Here you go." Eddy smiled, handing it over. A good cause, a jerk in debt and five dollars in profit? How could he not smile? Oh the sweet irony too. The kid who got way too much allowance, who beat him up and would destroy his scams, now come begging for cash? It was too good to be true; it even helped sugar coat the fact that he was now twenty poorer than he was before. Oh well. Maybe he should start a loan business on the side? Eddy watched Kevin leave before Derek turned Eddy around.

"You're Eddy, right?" Eddy pulled away. What was with everyone touching him today?

"Yea, come back after class." He started to walk away.

"I've gotta talk to you about your friend Double D." Ok that made him stop and turn around, keeping his sly and cool stance. Hands in the pockets, shoulders slumpt. Classic. "I think he might be in danger."

"I'm listening." Eddy said. So much for English. He didn't really wanna go anyways. Derek stepped uncomfortably close, looking down at Eddy.

"Dr. Gravis isn't just a counselor. He's tied to some underground scientific community."

Ok this was lame. Eddy turned to leave only for Derek to pull him outside.

"What the hell is up with you people and pushing and pulling me? I swear the next person who touches me-"

"Where is your friend Ed?" Derek asked, hands on Eddy's shoulders.

"In class or something, I dunno! He's takin a few special ed classes to help catch him up, they run on different blocks."

"No he's not. I went to all of his classes and he wasn't in either."

"Ok let's start over." Eddy said, stepping back from Derek and fixing his shirt. "Who the hell are you and why the hell are you wasting my time?"

Derek sighed and scratched his head. "I'm Derek, and my father and I are sometimes hired by the police to investigate things that they formally can't get involved in."

"You mean spy for?" Eddy asked. Ok getting a little less lame.

"Yea. We were asked to investigate Dr. Gravis, the counselor here. I've been dating one of his step daughters for a year or so and I can tell you he's a very dangerous man. From my own investigations into him, I've found that he belongs to this underground scientific society called SS. I haven't found what it stands for. At any rate, they have been responsible for a bunch of heinous scientific experiments that I really…really would like to skip describing."

"Project SS…" Double D muttered, hypnotized by the information on Dr. Gravis' computer screen. There was a list of names and faces of old scientists. Were these friends of Gravis'? Why were they tied to the cul-de-sac?

"They were caught experimenting on children, doing really _really_ horrible things to them." It was clear that Eddy wasn't quite buying it. "Look, I think he might have already done something to Ed and your friend Double D is in a lot of danger. There's gotta be a reason why he picked him to work in his office. If you care about your friend, you'll do something."

There was a video file on the computer, dated in the title to be from a month ago. It would be too risky to view it here, so he inserted a small disk drive and copied it there, finishing, removing it, and placing it in his pocket just seconds before the office door swung open.

"Whatever." Eddy rolled his eyes. "I really feel for you, hey have you met Jonny 2x4? You and him have lots in common." With that Eddy walked away and Derek sighed. Oh well, he tried to reason with the kid.

"Dr. Gravis-" Double D again quickly closed all the windows. He'd have to erase his digital trail later.

"Eddward, my dear boy, still searching where your prying eyes ought not to?" Gravis asked, sitting on the desk. Why did D suddenly want to run? The man's eyes were staring straight into his, prying deep inside him, as if he somehow knew everything he was thinking. And the nervous child was fun to watch, his breathing steadily picking up, the color quickly fading from his face. It was exhilarating, much how a lion might enjoy the look of desperation in the eyes of a gazelle before sinking teeth deep in the jugular.

"I would fire you," Gravis continued, "but I feel that even if I did do that, there'd be little I could do to stop you from trying to find out more. For this, there's only one solution, really." He stood and Double D sank in his chair a little more.

"W-what's that solution?"

"Why, to let you know everything you may wish to ever know, child. It's a shame, though. I really liked you. You had such, such potential." With that Double D got up, dived under the desk, and out through the door leaving Gravis in a fit of maniacal laughter. This lion loved the chase.

Eddy was heading towards the busses and sure enough, there walked Ed from his special classes and rushed up to him.

"Eddy! You won't believe it! I found treasure." Before Eddy could make some smart remark, Ed picked up his smaller friend and rushed to a closet he knew very well, through a doorway with a few boards, into a dark earthen tunnel.

"Ed, where the hell are you taking me? We're going to miss our bus!"

"But Eddy, you gotta see! You're gunna love it!"

"Forget it, Lumpy. I'm not missing my show for something stupid you found in this hole in the ground." He struggled from Ed and started to walk back. What a moron. Where did a tunnel like this come from, and what was it doing in a school anyway? He didn't have long to think about it. Something came fast and hit him hard, knocking him out cold in the dark.

And it was quiet…cold, dead here. There was nothing at all, and Eddy enjoyed that for a little. Nothing to worry about, nothing to prove, nothing at all. But then there was metal. His fingers had moved and inch, a twitch of life, and they relayed to the still dazed mind that there were cold bars here, but when Eddy opened his eyes there still was nothing. Just darkness and silence. Unbearable silence.

"Ed?" he called out, weakly at first. Nothing called back. "Hey! Is someone there?" He tried to sit up from his curled up position on his side to find that whatever cage he had been stuffed into wouldn't let him. His legs couldn't stretch, keeping them bent and close to his body, he couldn't roll over, his arms didn't have room to budge far from their positions, one under him, the other pressing between the top of the bar cage and his side. "Let me out of here!" His body was already sore.

Silence did nothing to help him, so he became enraged, thrusting about in the strong, thick barred caged. It didn't budge, scoot or give. So he tried screaming. Screaming in command for help, screaming in the pain that was quickly growing from his cramped limbs.

After the rage faded, it gave way to panic. He was losing feeling in his arm under him, the legs threatening to go after that. "Please! Someone!" Panic was beginning to blend into despair. "Anybody please!" That's when tears came. More panic, more begging, more useless attempts at moving and the pain grew. His muscles were screaming to move, his skin crawled and his nose itched and there was nothing. Nothing everywhere. Nothing to help. Time passed unmercifully slow and as it did the incredible pain faded. The rage and panic faded leaving him dazed and numb, simply breathing in the dark.

So this was what it was like to be small. Caged and bound, stored away in the dark. Like his family had done. Forgotten in the closet behind his brother's things. He belonged here…And this is what it was like to be alone. Eddy's mind wandered in the dark, conjuring images to hang onto sanity.

Marie's image materialized in the dark, Eddy's mind running away with him. "You deserve to be alone."

"We were never enough for you." Double D frowned down at him with crossed arms. "You needed everyone's attention that you'd sell your best friends for it."

"How sad." Ed agreed.

"I didn't mean it." Eddy pleaded into the empty space. "Just help…please."

"Rot here. Everyone hates you." Marie scoffed, looping her imaginary arm with Double D's. "No one needs you. You should never have been born."

"You're so easily replaced." Double D laughed. "We'll never remember your name or face. It'll be like you were never there." They were right. Who would ever remember him? You have no proof you lived if no one remembers you when you're gone. That's why you gotta make it big. To exist! If they don't know you, if they don't remember, then you're not even real. You might as well be dead.

Eddy's mind took him back in front of his house. He could see himself walk up to the door as if he himself were just an observer from the sidewalk. He watched himself knock on the door and saw his mother answer it. The two stared at each other for a moment and he watched himself pull out a gun and press it to his temple, never hesitating as he pulled the trigger. Her son's blood spattered across the large living room window, it marred her make up and her pretty clothes. But despite the blood on her face, she smiled and walked back into the house where her better son and husband were watching tv.

"Who was that, honey?" His father asked. Eddy watched from the lawn, the door still open, no one noticing the mess that was once a teenager on the walk to the house.

"Oh nothing." She smiled at him. "Pass the popcorn?"

Ed and Double D were playing with remote controlled cars and Double D's rolled up the walk and bumped into the corpse with the massive empty head cavity. He walked up, picked up the blood covered toy and laughed as he rushed back to Ed. They didn't care. They didn't even notice. His family was happier. The blood ran down the walk to his shoes.

"Why do you need everyone's approval? Why do you need them to validate who you are? If you're so great why do you need anyone at all? Doesn't it bother you that you try to live on lies, Eddy? Do you hate your self so much that you want everyone to only know a story instead? Aren't Ed and I enough?" Eddy turned and there was Double D again, the two of them alone in darkness.

"I hate myself." He nodded. That's what it boiled down to, wasn't it? His parents didn't love him. His peers hated him. He hated himself. Too short, too dumb, too pathetic.

The darkness folded and blended into Double D's bathroom, the cut on his hand, and the messy bandaging job that D was trying to fix. "We suffer on your behalf." He whispered to Eddy. "I think I've gotten better at this. I've had a great deal of practice. Physical pain from ruined scams, hurtful words, public scorn, Ed and I have endured it all for you, Eddy. You come up with these plans. All of it for you, but you're never happy. Why aren't you happy, Eddy?" Double D smiled up at him. That smile, he and Ed were the only ones… D then let go of Eddy's hand and his delicate fingers gripped the edge of his orangey red shirt, pulling it up to reveal a grotesque sight. His ribs were broken in places so that the contusions showed as unnatural lumps in his chest, or actual bone peeking out of ripped skin. There were countless cuts and gashes, even some items stuck inside. There was something that looked like a screw driver in his side, glass, nails, and pieces of wood, each representing some moment of physical or emotional pain that they felt for him. Eddy covered his mouth to keep from throwing up.

"I've learned to stop bleeding. I don't want to let you know how much you hurt us." Double D gripped the handle of the screwdriver and pulled hard, removing it with the most disgusting slurping sound, and that smile, that selfless kind smile. Eddy turned and ran, only to bump into Ed, or at least his lower half. The upper half was still connected by stretching skin, but hung limply behind him as if his spine had snapped completely in half under the weight of something enormous.

"Hey Eddy! Need me to lift something cuz I feel like a million bucks and that's a lot." Eddy watched in horror as the skin across his friend's midsection began to tear, unable to bear the weight of his upper torso hanging loosely. He walked towards Eddy. "Maybe a piggy back ride?"

Eddy turned and ran into the darkness. "I'm done!" He shouted into the dark, his mind's delusions fading, his thoughts returning him back to his body in the tiny cage. "Please just kill me! I'm done!" he sobbed.

"You should be careful about what you wish for boy." A voice finally said, the sound hitting his ears like a shockwave. "You might just get it."

A/N: Hope that wasn't too gory. Let me know. I'm in a rush with work and finals, I hope it's ok if I don't heavily edit this. I've rewritten it 4 times.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Trying to update before I have to disappear for hardcore final studying. I promise other cannon characters will get involved soon!

**Survey the Social**

Chapter seven.

And as usual, the rest of the inhabitants of the cul-de-sac were oblivious of the trials that the Eds were enduring. The only real change here was that none of them were the cause of their strife. No one seemed to notice anything different, most were thankful that the three troublesome classmates were quieter than normal. The new school and new people absorbed them happily, making forgetting about the Eds all that much easier.

Eddy was feeling rather forgotten, still laying painfully in that tiny cage somewhere in the dark. His mind had traveled every inch of his inner self till he simply just wanted quiet stillness. He wanted the quiet and the dark. It didn't last long, however. The lights turned on dim at first and slowly grew brighter as two red and grey running shoes faced him. His tired eyes traveled up the track pants to the blurry faced blonde girl standing over him.

Ed was staring at a wall. Ever since May had pinched him with that thing, he had felt funny. He couldn't remember the last episode of Martian Mayhem he had seen, and worst of all, he didn't know where his friends were, or if Sara was ok. The last few weeks were just an in and out blur, which stirred thoughts of small aliens in his brain. Maybe they were using him for some kind of experiment…

Double D was still feeling a little panicked. Dr. Gravis' office was on the third floor and the quickest way down was the east wing elevator. The elevator had scared him, oddly enough, with how it would flicker and shutter and squeal on it's way through the shaft. The fact that he pressed the down button showed his desperation to put precious distance between himself and Dr. Gravis' office.

And Marie, she was feeling angry. Derek had stood her up, leaving her standing on the bleachers where they normally met up. But somewhere, in the pit of her stomach she felt something twist. The clouds were turning grey and again threatened rain. Before she could leave the bleacher, Marie's cell phone rang.

"Derek? Where are you?" She asked angrily, one hand holding her dark blue cell phone, the other on her hip.

"Marie." There was an echo behind him, and the sound of something dripping. The most alarming was the hurried panic in his voice. "Don't go home. Please, you gotta get your friends-."

"This isn't very funny." This had to be a joke, right? Right. And not a funny one either. She'd have to punch him really really hard when she saw him next.

"You don't have much time. Go to the café, dad'll explain. I'm sorry for everything, Marie."

She swallowed, the knot in her stomach growing. "Sorry for what?" The phone suddenly went dead on the other line and she slowly closed her phone. Get her friends? Not go home? What in the world was going on? She hopped off the bleachers and jogged back into the school, right before it began to rain again.

Double D rested against the smooth wall of the elevator, clutching the strap to his messenger bag and looking up at the ceiling. He begged for it to be a quick ride down, maybe then he could find some unsuspecting place to hide until the end of the school day. But his thoughts were interrupted when the lights flickered off. Double D nearly squealed out in shock, the red digital displays for the floors still lit. The red light, though small, spilt deep red on the scene.

"Go-good thing I'm prepared for just such a case." He told his shaking knees, trying to convince himself that he was still in control. After a few moments spent fumbling in the dark through his bag, Double D found his light up pen and cast a light at the control panel, looking for the door open button and trying that first. No response from the elevator. After that, he pressed the emergency call button.

"Hello? Is…is anyone there?" Just where did that call broadcast to anyway? The office?

"Eddward, hello." Gravis' voice called back. D's knees resumed their shaking. "You must have been in quite a hurry to have taken the elevator, hmm? I wouldn't suppose you'd have anything of mine on your person, physical or digital, would you boy?" The sinister all knowing tone in his voice, the trapped and perilous situation he was in, D fell back against the wall and slid down it. The elevator shuttered before dropping a few feet and grinding to a sudden stop causing Double D to yell out in fear.

When he opened his eyes to find that he was still alive, they noticed that the light on the display above the door was flickering, threatening to leave him in absolute darkness. It was some fictional number that resembled both a three and four, fighting against the black. D watched that made up number, representing his current straddling of life and death. When it finally flickered into darkness he covered his mouth, heart pounding against his chest. His mind wondered on the probability of surviving a possible forty foot drop down an elevator shaft or if anyone would even know that it fell, leaving him to suffer a slow death alone in the twisted metal wreckage in the school's dank basement... D scrambled to his knees and hit the emergency call button again.

"Dr. Gravis? Please, the elevator is-Ah!" The elevator jerked again. However, there was no reply from Gravis on the other end of the emergency call.

The moments ticked by incredibly slow, the doors not opening, the darkness surrounding and the possibility of plummeting at any moment still breathing down his neck. Think, Eddward, think. There had to be a way out of this. He turned his light-up pen upward, casting a tiny search light at the steel ceiling, looking for some kind of escape hatch. Metal outside was beginning to groan and the elevator car began to tremble. If he was going to escape, now would be the best time. A latch finally came into view and carefully, ever so carefully, he climbed up the one railing along the side. His sweaty hands had trouble at first as he tried to find balance in the darkness, the pen now in his mouth despite how unsanitary it was. After torturous moments, he was finally up and balanced and teetering, he took the pen and shown it upwards so that one brave, trembling hand could reach for the latch.

Double D smiled with pride when his fingertips touched the latch and took hold, but after a few strong tugs he found that layers of paint kept the latch sealed in place. He tried hitting it with his pen to chip it off, but to avail. Pushing at the latch also didn't help. His whole world was shaking and the groaning of bending, wearing metal outside the car was getting even louder. Panic was taking hold as he pounded at the ceiling with his fists, even though the uneven and partially rusted surface was beginning to cut his knuckles. It had to open, please let it open! He couldn't die here, not this way, not now! Tears began to well in his eyes and his voice caught in his throat.

"Someone, please! Help!"

The elevator jerked and fell, causing Double D to give a scream before slipping from his perch on the railing and onto the floor. His light up pen fell with him, smashing into a dozen plastic bits and returning him to complete darkness. A cry of agony broke over the noise of the grinding metal as Double D held his right wrist. Searing, throbbing pain was shooting up his arm and it, mixed with the panic and hopelessness, had sapped all his energy. He laid there cradling his injured hand, crying helplessly into the dark when the elevator finally gave a last screech before plummeting down the shaft.

May blinked when she heard some sort of gurgle. She didn't really expect him to make any sound, really, as she turned the key to Eddy's tiny, tiny cage. Eddy had spent so much time screaming and crying that she had expected his voice to be all too sore to make any noise at all…then again this was Eddy, the biggest mouth she had ever known. What Lee saw in the guy, she'd never know. Carefully she opened the top and touched his arm where the imprints of the bars had left their red marks.

"D-…" He managed as she touched his skin with a cold rag. "Don't touch me."

"I'm helping you, stupid." She then took his arm and pulled it up, causing him to scream out in pain. His sore and stiff muscles weren't ready to be moved so quickly, the numb flesh quickly jolting back to life. May paid no mind as she pulled him up and held him up till he could support himself on his feet. God, every inch of him was on fire, tears streaming down his face.

"What the hell is going on!?" he asked angrily, his voice raw and sore like the rest of him.

"Daddy's gunna be back soon, if he knows I let you out for a little bit, he's gunna be really-."

"You're not putting me back there!" Eddy looked at the cage and it seemed horribly small, how the hell did he fit in that thing?

"You have to! I just thought you'd need a break!" She pulled on his arm, trying to get him to fall, but Eddy jerked away and shoved her into the open cage before stumbling towards the door. May, however, was the mvp in their junior track and field team. She was up and had a hold of him before he made it half way with his still numb and uncoordinated legs. "See if I ever try to help you again!" That's when Eddy noticed the tool chest and assorted tools on the floor a little ahead of them. He let her drag him closer.

"Were you the one that put me in there last time?" His eyes fell on May for a moment, before returning to the nearing tools.

"Sure was hard." She huffed. "You're so heavy." Anger was building up inside of him. Everything he went through in that tiny slice of hell. He should have known a Kanker was behind it. But his mind went back to just who it was that had lured him here to begin with…

"And Ed's part of it?" Maybe May had some kind of hold on Ed, like Marie had tried to get on Double D.

"Nah, he just listens to daddy now. I'm so glad, he plays with me all day." So this guy did something to Ed? He could only imagine what he must have had to do if Ed was willing to play with May. Something really horrible, because even after being locked in that cage, Eddy still would never spend time with Lee Kanker.

"And what about Double D? Your dad do anything to him?" Eddy was almost drooling as they kept nearing that small pile of tools.

"No not yet, but he says he's got something really cool planned for him." Anger was growing inside of Eddy. May and her dad, whoever he was, was messing with him and his friends? They hadn't even done anything!

"And your dad wanted to do this to me?"

"Yea, he said he was helping you face your core or something." Just a little further.

"Yea, you know what, I feel better already." He said, pulling away just long enough to grab a wrench. May gasped and turned, already leaping after him, heading head first at Eddy, never seeing him swing the heavy metal instrument at her. But Eddy didn't stop at one swing, he didn't stop when May was out cold on the floor, blood seeping from a cut on her forehead. They had put him through hell, made him wish for death, and did who knows what to Ed, and could be doing horrible things to Double D. His mind went to every moment of pain, every horrible, emotionally scaring image he had to suffer through in that endless darkness… it was only when the sting of blood in his eyes was felt did Eddy stop and look at what he had done. He dropped the wrench and took a shaking step back from the mess that was spreading across the cold floor. The only thing that might identify her to be May was the edge of her pant leg, still sporting her track colors. The rest was distorted, bloody pulp from the shoulders up. He inched past the mess and hurried out the door.

Eddy's head was pounding as he rushed through the hall, trying not to think about what had happened. He only had wanted to knock her out, honest! Maybe he could claim self defense, he never ever was going back into that cage. He had no other choice, right? He wasn't a murderer! He had to find Ed, he had to find Double D, D would know what to do! That's when something big and green caught his eye in an open room. Ed was sitting there, staring at a tv showing nothing but static.

"Hey, Ed! C'mon!" Ed didn't move so Eddy came in and hit him in the back of the head.

"Eddy?" Ed blinked, recognizing that smack anywhere. "Eddy! Why do you have ketchup all over you? Was it french fry day?" Eddy looked down at himself and swallowed nervously before taking off his blood covered shirt.

"Forget it, Ed, we're getting the hell out of here." He grabbed Ed's sleeve and dragged him out of the room.

"High ho Geronimo!" Ed picked up Eddy and put him on his shoulders, running full speed. He wasn't sure how he knew his way through the mess of hallways, but it wasn't long before they were back in the janitor's closet and into the hallway full of kids. Class was just about over and everyone was trying to get their things.

"Hey!" Marie called to them, pushing through the crowd.

"Ed, run away!" Eddy instructed and Ed obliged, rushing away from Marie with Eddy still on his shoulders.

"Wait! Hey Ed, I've got a chicken!" Marie called after him and Ed stopped and turned which was plenty long enough for Marie to pull Eddy off of Ed and put the smaller boy in a headlock.

"I'm not going back! You can't make me, I'd rather die!" Eddy yelled, squirming in her tight grip. "Ed help!" Ed grabbed Eddy's leg and began to pull.

"Let go, chicken liar!" Ed huffed, pulling.

"Something weird is going on, Double D might be in danger-." Marie said, still holding onto Eddy from around his neck. Once she had said that, Ed let go, sending Marie and Eddy back into the lockers.

"Danger?" Ed gasped.

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" Eddy glared at Marie, rubbing his neck.

"No I don't, that's why I'm trying to gather all of you Eds up!" Marie stood, fixing her clothes and pushing her hair from her face.

"Your dad is some psycho maniac doing messed up things to kids! And Double D's working for the guy and you Kankers are in on it!" Eddy glared at her, standing nose to nose with the blue haired guitarist.

"What are you-."

"Some guy tried to warn me about it, I should have listened to him. I swear if you touch Double D I'll-."

"Will you shut the hell up for just a second?" She yelled over him. "I have no idea what's going on! My boyfriend called me up and told me not to go home and that you jerks were in trouble and hung up. Now you're telling me my creepy step dad's doing experiments?"

"Like in Attack of the Potato Professor from Beyond the Grave!" Ed shouted. Everyone was yelling. He wanted to yell too. They both looked at him for a moment before turning back to each other.

"The guy that talked to you…" Marie started. "Was he tall, spiky black hair?"

"Yea, he said he was some spy just dating one of you to get info on your dad." Eddy smirked. Marie punched the locker, purposely close to Eddy's head. The final bell rang and students began to pour out of the school, soon leaving the three in the hall. "Where is Double D?" Eddy sighed in frustration.

"He has a cell, right? What's his number?" Marie asked.

"Oh no! I'm not giving his number to one of you Kankers." That's when he remembered what had happened and swallowed nervously, stepping away from Marie. He felt a little sick, why did his mind have to bring it up now? Marie's cell rang before she could pressure him for it.

"Hello? Hey dad. Uh, no sorry, I have an early shift at the café. Yea. Yea I'll let you know if I see him. I promise. Yes I mean it. Really. OK. Ok bye." Marie hung up and looked at Eddy with fear in her eyes. "Whatever you've done, it must have been something horrible. C'mon, we'll argue about this later." She grabbed Eddy's hand and dragged him out of the school, Ed following close behind.

"What about Double D?" Eddy protested.

"Call him." She shoved her phone at him as she continued to pull them quickly out to the busses. She couldn't go home, and if something was going on with the Eds they couldn't go to Peach Creek, either. Maybe a buss that went to Collins Park, and then they could catch a transit to New Harbor where the café was.

"He's not picking up." Eddy said, making Marie stop. "It said his phone is out of service."

She glanced back at the school, then at the busses. "Get on this one, ride it to Collins Park. Then take this, and go to Central Café in New Harbor. There's advertisements for it everywhere, it's hard to miss. Once you're there, ask for Chase." She shoved a buss pass into his hands before running back to the school.

"Is this a adventure, Eddy?" Ed beamed, hopping from one foot to the next excitedly.

Eddy was stuck. He wanted to get far away from that maniac, and everything, but he didn't want to leave if there was a possibility that Double D was in the same if not worse danger that he and Ed were in. He looked back at Ed. Ed would never be able to follow those directions on his own. Stay or go, he'd have to choose. The busses were getting ready to leave.

"Your timing is so unfortunate, Eddward." Gravis' words broke the silence as Double D came-to. He opened his eyes to find the man polishing a shiny scalpel. D's arms were bound at 45 degree angles to his sides, his whole body strapped to some up right table, a strap wrapped around his forehead and two metal clamps keeping his mouth open wide open. As he became more aware of his situation, the taste of metal and possibly blood, and as he remembered his last setting, panic again rose up in him and over powered all discomfort or pain in his body. His panic only grew when Gravis looked at him, a murderous look in his eyes.

"You see, I only had wished to scare you from ever questioning my authority, or snooping into my personal files. However, your friend Eddy has taken something very dear away from me, and so I must take something very dear away from him." Double D squirmed as Gravis stepped closer, the metal cutting tool glinting in the harsh florescent lights. "But before we get to that, why don't I start from the beginning?"

**A/N:** Woo! Sorry that took so long. I'm trying to play catch up in class. May 15 I'm outta school for a whole month, so I'll have lots and lots of time to devote to you guys. Till then, please excuse me if things are a little slow.

I picked Eddy's cage thing very carefully, connecting the situation to things inside of him. Can you guys see the importance to Double D's? I have a forum where we can talk about stuff! Check the link in my profile!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/n:** This is the last chapter I'm posting before the end of the semester here in college. I'll see you guys after the 15th! Sorry if it's rushed, or filled with spelling mistakes. I just needed desperately to get this part out of my head and on digital paper. Now maybe I can concentrate on my studies. I also used line deviders this time becuase there's three different things going on at once and I like ot hope back and forth. Maybe I should cut down on the expressomochalattes.

**Survey the Social**

Chapter eight.

Marie hardly made it into the hallways when Eddy caught up. "You and Ed need to get out of here." She warned, glancing back at him as she rushed for the east wing stairs. "Where's Ed?"

"I dumped him off with Nazz." He said quickly, out of breath and still struggling up the stairs after Marie. Eddy didn't know if he could trust Marie, and he didn't want to stick around her for too long, just incase she should find out about what he had done. Again, he forcefully shook off the thought, trying to concentrate on the steps and breathing. He just knew that he didn't know if Marie was in on this whole seriously messed up cult or whatever, and he wasn't going to leave Double D here with her and that crazy counselor.

Marie rolled her eyes, easily skipping steps as she rushed for the fourth floor. Leave it to Eddy to not listen to anyone. Now she not only had to find Double D, but protect Eddy from Gravis. Whatever Eddy did to tick off the man, she really didn't want to know. She had never heard him sound so angry, and it was clear the man was planning horrible things for the smallest Ed.

* * *

Nazz sighed, looking at Ed. Whatever was going on seemed pretty serious. Eddy was a pretty bad faker, and she had seen Eddy attempt to fake being upset or scared before. This was either his best attempt yet, or something was seriously wrong. Eddy had handed her a bunch of stuff, told her to take some random bus and take Ed with her. He didn't say why, so she figured it would be fine if they atleast stopped back at the cul-de-sac so that she could drop off her books and freshen up. Ed had wanted to go with Eddy, but Eddy told him that she would need protection, so Ed nodded and since then had staid glued to Nazz's side.

"Do you know what's going on?" Nazz asked Ed with a sigh.

"Not a clue!" He grinned.

They soon were home, and Nazz told him to check in on Sara while she got changed. Ed's parents were gone, and there was a note that Sara would be home soon and he would have to watch her. So soon Nazz wasn't just in charge of getting Ed to some weird café to talk to some random guy, but they also had to take Sara, and Sara refused to go if Jimmy didn't tag along as well. Today was going to be a long long day.

"Alright everyone, this is our bus." Nazz announced, watching the three board first before handing over the bus pass. She took a seat across from Ed, Sara and Jimmy. Next to her sat a very beautiful woman in a dark blue buisness suit and the longest, prettiest blond hair Nazz had ever seen. It flowed from a large bun on the woman's head, down her shoulders and pooled on her lap.

"Wow! How do you brush all of that hair?" Sara gasped, noticing the woman as well.

The woman laughed lightly. "It takes effort, but all good things should."

"What conditioner do you use, I must know!" Jimmy gushed, reaching out to touch, which the business woman didn't seem to mind. In fact it seemed to delight her.

"My own formula. Buying shampoo and conditioner would become too expensive."

"It's heavenly!" Jimmy gasped, only for Sara to shove him.

"I wanna touch too! Wow! This is softer than my teddy!"

"Me too!" Ed touched. "Soft just like a baby chicken."

"Ok, ok." The woman laughed, gently taking her hair back.

"Where do you work? You must be very important." Nazz asked. The woman just radiated strength, intellegenace, everything awesome about being a woman, even to her fairy tale like hair. The woman only laughed sweetly.

"What are you children doing away from home? Shouldn't you be enjoying your afternoon with your friends?"

"We're on our way home." Nazz lied and the woman obviously wasn't buying it. Infact, she had advoided answering Nazz's question about where she worked.

"Oh come now." The woman chuckled. "You four are surban kids if I have ever seen one. It's not nice to lie, little girl." Suddenly the lady didn't seem so awesome. Nazz was getting weird vibes from her. The way her crystal clear blue eyes were staring at Nazz…it just wasn't normal. It was like she knew everything about her even though they had just met.

The buss neared a run down Wendys and the lady pulled the yellow cord to signal for the bus to stop. "Why don't you kids run home? The city isn't a good place for children like you." The four of them exchanged glances as the bus lurched forward.

* * *

Marie was first to reach the office door to find it surprisingly open. "Hey dad," She hated calling him that. "You here?" No reply, just an empty office.

"What's this?" Eddy asked, looking at the man's computer. On it had a trace report, listing files that had recently been opened.

"More over." Marie shoved Eddy, stealing the mouse. Eddy would have pushed back against the woman if he hadn't noticed Double D's messanger bag in the corner of the room. Next to it was Edd's cell phone, the battery and it's backing missing. Double D would never have went home without his stuff.

"He's still here somewhere." Eddy said, going through the bag. Book on calculus, dumb composition book. Just what was in these things anyways? He opened it and started to read.

"_November 24__th__, Today Dr. Gravis left again in the middle of the day and has not returned. Sometimes I wonder where he goes, but I suppose it's to help my fellow students. I have started to notice patterns in the files of students that Dr. Gravis works with here in the school. Here are some notes…"_ It went on and on for a few pages of notes about other students' families. Boring, till Eddy stumbled on the last page. _"Strangly, it seems that my parents' information is missing from the data base, as well as the parents of all the children from Peach Creek's cul-de-sac. This will call for further investigation. I fear that this is simply not a coincidence."_

"Hey, can you look up my dad in that thing?" Eddy asked, looking back at Marie still on the computer.

"Already did. Looks like Double D was doing some heavy snooping in Gravis' stuff. There's nothing really on your family except your folks' names. The same goes for Nazz, Kevin, all of us."

"Double D's in real trouble. If that creep found out that he was snooping, then who knows what he's doing to him!" Eddy said, dropping the composition book.

"Get a grip, Gravis might be really weird, but he wouldn't hurt Double D."

* * *

Gravis sneered at the blood; swing swing swing of the shiny scalpel, such a thin and delicate blade could cause such destruction.

"You have no idea." He frowned as blood hit his cheek. "No idea how long this is going to take to fix." His hands were grasping bloodied fragments of skull, reconstructing bone to bone, having to cut through lacerated scalp and matted bloody hair. In one hand were pieces of skull to be put together, in the other a solder type of gun that emitted a white light that seemed to fuse the bone back together.

"Don't you ever get tired of breathing?" Gravis asked the boy who was still restrained behind him. He at first was going to work on Double D, but concluded that May needed his attention first. He had scooped all of her up and brought her in here. It was hard to keep his emotions under control. Even though the girl had just been a minion of sorts these past few months, this was still horribly upsetting. Oh the things he was going to do to Eddy when he got his hands on him…

"You have no need to lie to me, Eddward." He glanced over his shoulder and smirked at the clamps that held Double D's mouth open. "I know you do at times, I made you that way."

* * *

Nazz led the kids off the bus when it reached down town and sure enough there were lots of signs for Central Café.

"I can try that new low fat expressomochalatte." Jimmy beamed as they neared the shop with its large glass windows.

"I want a iced-."

"Guys please." Nazz was building up a huge headache. She should be home planning her birthday party. They walked in to find that there were large bongo and tribal drums that customers were welcome to play with. That easily caught Sara, Jimmy and Ed's attention and Nazz was free to go to the counter. There was a man in his mid thirties perhaps, with red hair that fell in his eyes.

"Hey, I'm looking for a guy named Chase, I think it was."

"That's me, what can I get you?" He smiled warmly at the girl. "I know, you're here for our famous expressomochalattes, huh?"

"Uh no. Caffeine's bad for you. I'm here cuz my friend said I had to come and talk to you or something. I don't know, it sounded really important."

Chase studied her carefully with his blue green eyes. "You're from Peach Creek?"

Nazz blinked, stepping back an inch. "How'd you know?"

"Who sent you here?"

"Eddy, I think he was going after Marie. I thought they didn't get along, and I didn't see Double D around and Ed, Double D and Eddy are always together and they hate the Kankers, so I guessed something really weird was going on so I said ok." Nazz took a deep breath from that long line and Chase's warm smile disappeared quickly.

"You and those kids, you guys have to come back here." He opened up the part of the counter and Nazz called over Ed, Sara and Jimmy. He led them to the back of the store. Sara clung to Ed.

"I don't like this Ed, let's go home."

"I promised to stay with Nazz, Sara. Eddy told me to not let her out of my sight."

"So what? Do you always listen to what that idiot tells you to do?" OK that was a stupid question.

"Please, everyone listen to me." Chase spoke up once they were in the large store room. It was dark and was lined with bags of coffee; the air was thick with the smell of deep roasted grounds. "All of you are in grave danger."

* * *

"Hey, Eddy, c'mere." Marie had up floor plans, showing a tunnel connected to the east wing janitor's closet and going deep underground to something like a small building deep under the school. "Is this where you and Ed came from earlier today?"

"Uh no. We were trying to steal school supplies." If he told her that he was down there, and if they were to stumble on May… "Do we have to go down there?"

"If he's anywhere, it'd be there. We're probably running out of time." Marie sighed, shutting down the computer. "C'mon. When we get down there, I'll make some kind of distraction, you look around and see if you can find Double D."

"When did I say I'm working with you? Why don't you stay up here and I'll find him."

"Since when did you have any kind of backbone?" She retorted, again leading the way out of the office. It was a short jog down the stairs and to the janitor's closet. Eddy, of course, knew just where the tunnel was.

* * *

"Danger?" Nazz asked.

"Me and my son Derek have been trying to find out a way to stop this really bad group of people. If Marie had anything with you guys coming here, that means that Derek's probably in trouble. Now, you say you haven't seen your friend Double D?"

"Double D's in trouble!" Ed shouted, remembering Marie and Eddy fighting about it in the hallway earlier that day. "I gotta go help!" Chase grabbed Ed's jacket just in time.

"Ok big guy, we're going to help, but I'm going to get you to tell me everything you know about what's going on."

Ed's bottom lip began to quiver. "I can't remember what I had to breakfast today, and Eddy was fighting with Marie about Double D. Eddy was really upset. We were in the secret place and he was covered in ketchup and then he told me to watch Nazz and come here. Baby sister Sara and Jimmy came too. I have to go back and help." He tried to pull away again, but Chase's surprising strength held him in place by his sleeve.

"Eddy and Marie are at the school looking for your friend, right?" Ed nodded. "Alright." Chase sighed, trying to think.

"What can we do to help?" Nazz asked.

"I really don't want to involve you kids, but since things seem to have come undone, we might as well make some kind of move. What I need you guys to do is listen very closely. No matter what the bad man says, don't listen. We need to get the other kids."

* * *

Eddy followed Marie's instructions on how to avoid the alarms she had noticed on the layout. He was down in the hallways now, but there were so freakin' many! How in the world was he going to find Double D at this rate? All the doors looked the same; each hallway was the same boring white. Maybe he should have kept Ed; he seemed to somehow know his way around here earlier that day. "Damn…"

* * *

Gravis had finally had a reconstructed skull in his blood soaked hands. "And now it seems I'll have a whole new chance to remake my dear May." He paused and put the skull down to smear the blood down Double D's cheek and undo the clamps on the boy's mouth.

"You're a mad man!" D yelled, struggling against his straps. That horrible sight that he was trying so hard not to look at, that couldn't possibly be May Kanker…

Gravis only laughed. "I have enjoyed watching you write down all your little notes, boy. Studying every new face so carefully, looking for answers in your new environment, but you made one horrible mistake." He put his face next to D's, stroking the boy's black hair with his blood soaked hands, delighting in how he closed his eyes tight as Gravis' hot breath rolled over his cheek. "You never thought to study your very own home. You are my greatest experiment, giving me 14 long years of amazing results."

"You're crazy." Double D hissed.

Gravis laughed and laughed, stepping away from him and turning to the screens, typing, leaving bloody dots on the white keyboard. "You wanted to steal this video from me, right? Here, watch."

Up came video. It faded into brilliant light, the camera as if hanging from the ceiling over a steel table and below that lay perfect white floor. After a few moments of just this table in view, there soon was a blond girl who came and looked up at the camera and smiled. Wait, was that May Kanker? He watched her wave at the camera before leaving, but soon she returned and with the help from some off screen lift dumped-

"Ed?!" Double D's eyes widened. He watched her roll Ed from his side to his back and made the unconscious boy wave to the camera too before going to pull his jacket and shirt from him. She took pictures of her own with her camera phone before, with great effort, she turned him over onto his back. Double D already felt a little ill, seeing his friend being treated like this. For a few long moments there was just Ed breathing slowly, head turned to the side, his back exposed.

Oh guilt was washing over Double D, his friend was in this position and he and Eddy were too busy in frivolous things that they hadn't noticed. They didn't know, never bothered to question. In fact, the lack of questioning things was proving to be a downfall in a lot of cases, whether it's his friend's behavior, his parent's jobs, Dr. Gravis' strange comings and goings, or Ed's absence from breaks and lunches. He had always assumed…well assuming was over. He narrowed his eyes in anger before noticing that Dr. Gravis and May had walked onto the screen.

There wasn't any noise, but he saw how they were talking, how Gravis petted the girl's head and her happy expression. There was a clear connection between them, and for a brief second, D let himself glance away from the screen to May on the table. Her head was a sickening sum of three piles: scalp, hair and facial muscle and skin, a bucket full of the contents that used to be inside her head, and the reconstructed skull staring at him with gaping eye sockets. Oooh he was going to be ill.

On the screen, May left and Gravis seemed to say something to himself before reaching and pulling a tray into view, filled with sharp medical tools. Double D's mind flashed back to that mysterious line he had seen on Ed's head and realized that the date in the title of the video matched. Oh dear, that would mean-he watched Gravis disinfect the back of Ed's head on the screen, using a special stand to keep Ed's head centered. And then, as Double D's mind had tried to warn him, Gravis began to carefully draw his sharp instrument from behind one ear, down around the contour of the teen's head till it reached the other ear. A few more careful strokes and he slowly pulled the skin back.

Gravis watched himself on the screen as he carefully cut into thick neck muscles and clipped them back till he reached color-coded nerves. Nerve bundles that were supposed to be a yellowish whitish were not. Instead they were blue, green and purple. It sort of resembled the color-coded cords one might see behind an entertainment system, or in an electrical box. Dr. Gravis paused the video.

"Beautiful isn't it? I always had trouble in medical school remembering which bundles did what, so I designed a simple color system."

"S-so you're trying to tell me that Ed is a robot?" Double D had tried to sound skeptic, perhaps sarcastic. Instead he sounded sick and scared.

"No. That's all organic." He motioned to the screen. "Let's keep watching." The joy in Gravis' voice scared Double D almost as much as the horrible things he was implying.

And the mad man was right, these weren't electrical cords, inspection of the image showed that these were indeed organic nerves. In the video, Gravis dug at the bone at the base of Ed's skull till what looked like four screw holes were in vision and with a small power screwdriver he simply removed them, now able to pry out what was clearly organic section of skull, showing where the color coded nerves attached into the base of the brain.

"This is a fake. It has to be. No-no one has a pre-made access port to their brain, that's ridiculous!" D shouted, making Gravis laugh again.

"If I were to force your head down and do the same procedures to you, remove the section and show it to you, would you believe me then?" Edd didn't reply, he didn't want to provoke the man to try. "Oh wait, here." He picked up May's skull and showed him. Sure enough, an identical removable square rested at the base of her skull.

Double D looked away, choosing to watch the screen instead as Ed's shoulder twitched in the video. Gravis took note of the motions he induced from careful prodding of these nerves. He even went so far as to make Ed twitch as if dancing and then proceeded to laugh. He was playing with him as if it wasn't a human being on the table.

On the screen, Gravis moved Ed's arms so that they were hanging off the edge of the table and made another long incision from the cut at the base of his skull, along the spine, till it went off camera somewhere around Ed's waist. Then another from where the bottom most rib would connect to the spine, just above the lower back, to the top of his shoulder. Carefully Gravis did this same cut again, forming a sort of triangle that when peeled back made two. The urge to be ill returned when Double D could see the extremely realistic muscles underneath. Gravis made two more incisions just off camera, probably near the waist line to pull back two more symmetrical sections of skin to show the whole stretch of muscle in Ed's back.

"You see, I wanted to make sure that his development was going as planned. All of Eddy's scams have required Ed to do some very heavy lifting and I had spent far too much time on Ed to let that imbecile ruin him." Gravis said at the video as it showed him checking vertebrae. "After that, I did some fine tuning in his personality, nothing too major, I didn't want you boys to become suspicious. Not that either of you seemed to care that he had been missing while at school. I was quite surprised at that development, myself." He turned to Double D. "Do you believe me now?"

"Of course not! You're asking me to believe that you made my friends and me? That's impossible! This video has to be a fake; I mean there's hardly any bleeding at all!" Gravis turned at that, looking back at the video before chuckling.

"Why would I make things harder on myself, if I knew that I'd have to periodically open you up to check on your development and upkeep, hmm? If I determined everything about you, you don't think that I could arrange for the body to close off those vessels at the sight of the major dissection lines? Who would want to worry about the need to keep a bank of blood to pour back into someone who'd just bleed it back out during the operation? Seems rather ridiculous."

"But why? Why create people? None of this makes any sort of sense." Double D's head was throbbing, his stomach was churning, and his wrist still hurt a great deal, the straps now causing his muscles to grow sore and stiff. Gravis turned to him and sighed, seeming a little annoyed by D's persistent reluctance to accept the truth.

"Why would a boy spend his days writing notes on other human beings?" He asked with out stretched arms. "What was it that made you start your study? To understand the basic human need to belong, right? But that just made you try to understand more. What are social circles, stereotypes, what sort of people bend to these labels, how did they live, what makes someone who they are? So many, many questions. Eight composition books later, all you have are notes and hardly any answers, am I correct?"

Double D swallowed at that, not able to keep himself from shaking as Gravis approached him, scalpel still in hand.

"Well, you're not the only person who wants to know. Sanctus Society has been trying to find out the answer to those questions. Just what is a human being? What makes us do all the things we do, and how does the human ego decide who we are? We have been surveying the social long before you."

Gravis sat on the table next to May's skull and picked it up, resting it in his lap. "Do you know why you couldn't find the answers? Humans are complex things. Each is a reflection of not just their choices, but the teachings of their parents, and the result of the teachings of the parents before them. Family genetics and curses play such complicated roles that all the variables cloud the observation. So we had to figure out a way to water down the subjects. Control the experiment."

He shifted on the table a little. "We had to make something like human, something very close, but with exact and controlled origins. So we made you. Not just you, but everyone in your little world. Nazz, Kevin, Jonny, Rolf, Jimmy, Sara, Lee, Marie, May." He stroked the skull in hand before looking up with an evil grin. "Ed, Edd and Eddy."

"That can't be true." Double D's strict refusal to believe Gravis seemed to fade a little.

"Each of you represents one common social category. Think about it. Why did it intrigue you so much that people in school weren't just one social label, but a few bound in one? Because all you've ever known were people who belonged to just one. The jock, the dream girl, the foreigner, the bossy, the stupid, the opportunist wannabe, the nerd, the weirdo, the flamboyant and the furthest outcasts, all of you helping my colleagues understand humanity all the more."

"I know that you're lying because all of us have parents who love us very much." D protested.

"All of whom are part of our society. They all work for my boss." Oh God, Gravis was only an underling? Double D shuddered at who the mastermind must be like. His mind wandered over mental images of a tall dark and evil man.

"None of you have seen your parents work, have you? None of you question it, especially not you. They leave, come home long enough to take notes, keeping to the typical latch key family standards. They're simply scientists who moonlight as half hearted parents. Nothing changes until they get the word from me, and I follow my boss's commands. But it only works if you kids don't know. This is why I really was hoping to keep you from finding out too much, Eddward. With you researching into your fictional parent's backgrounds and then into details about Sanctus, I wanted to stop you. I wanted to spook you with a scary trip in the elevator. But when I saw just what you had looked at in my files, I knew that your curious nature would never let you just stop there. I designed you to hunger for knowledge. Please believe me when I say that you were one of my favorites."

Double D swallowed the lump in his throat and his bottom lip started to quiver. "Y-you're not going to-."

"The experiment is compromised now that you know." Gravis sighed, putting the skull down. "We haven't studied the impact of mourning on our group yet, and I don't even know if any of you even contain souls. After all, you're just following a set of emotional programming mixed with set upbringing to shape you into the people you are. Each born in a lab, in a tank, not a woman's womb. And you're completely replaceable if I should change my mind. I could make a thousand Double Ds just like you." Double D struggled as Gravis got up from the table and exchanged his scalpel for a larger knife. Tears began to fill his eyes, the pain in his wrist paling to the desperation in his chest.

"Please. Please no." he begged as Gravis stood inches away from him. "I won't tell anyone. I swear. I-." The searing pain in his abdomen caught all breath off. The taste of blood filled his mouth as Gravis shoved the knife deeper into the boy's stomach.

"Shhh…" he stroked D's hair. "It'll be over with soon, just try to relax into it, don't fight. No more worrying. No more expectations." It was strange. In that moment you could hear regret in his voice. Gravis actually did seem to care about his 'creations…' The silence was broken when there was a loud alarm. Gravis turned away, his screen showing Marie coming down the tunnel. "No, I can't let her find out." He rushed from the room, leaving Double D there, watching his blood drip from his clothing onto the floor. The puddle was growing quickly and already he felt light headed.

He looked down at the metal instrument protruding from his trembling body, and blinked at the surrealness of the crimson puddle reflecting his face back up at him. In all his short years he had never seen any of this coming. And who could? Everything he knew was a lie? Some carefully fabricated experiment? He and his friends were manufactured living creatures without a soul…Everything was quickly growing numb and surprisingly warm; a sort of sleepiness was beginning to take over. He hardly noticed Eddy rush in.

"Double D!" he shouted before rushing over and undoing the buckle fasteners on the straps that held his bleeding friend up. Double D smiled up at him once Eddy had him in his arms. Why hadn't he noticed before how safe he felt there? Somehow, even if Gravis was right and they weren't really people, none of that mattered. At least he wouldn't die alone.

He probably would have slipped comfortably into darkness if it wasn't for the tears that were welling in Eddy's eyes. The racing pulse of his friend's heart could be felt against his cheek and somewhere in that, Double D found strength. He wanted life, to live with his companions.

"Eddy, late...as always." With a weary hand he pointed at the metallic light gun on the table. "That. U-use that." Eddy was visibly trying to keep from losing control as he gently put Edd down and grabbed for the device. There was a squeezable section on it.

"Remove the knife." The sentence was hardly over a hoarse whisper from paling lips.

"I-I can't." Eddy was shaking.

"Try."

"Stop bossing me around," Eddy choaked out before closing his eyes and jerking the knife from his friend's body. The horrible noise was too close to the sound he had heard in his delusions when he had watched his guilt in the shape of Double D remove a simular instrument. Eddy helped Double D's trembling hands pull up his blood soaked shirt and D's fingers traced the hole in his stomach, having trouble keeping his eyes focused. Everything was growing blurry.

"Close…" His lips moved but words just were too much effort. Eddy nodded and tried to concentrate. Close what? The hole was pretty deep. So, reluctantly he spread open the wound and used the device, watching in awe as the flesh fused back together. Ironicly, it was kind of like how he used to help Double D solder junk back together for their schemes. The first few times he used the device, Double D jerked in pain, but soon that reaction stopped. In moments Eddy was preparing to use it on the skin, but to his surprise the skin wouldn't fuse back together so he ripped part of Double D's shirt and wrapped it tightly around his friend's stomach.

"There, now what?" Eddy asked, looking at the knot he had tied. "Double D?" He turned to see his friend's eyes closed, pale blue lips still. His heart stopped for a moment and Eddy gently put a hand on Double D's shoulder.

"C-C'mon, Sockhead. Stop fooling around, I fixed it. J-just like you said." Still it roused no response. So Eddy shook Double D, gently at first, then harder, tears streaming down his face. "C'mon, if you quit, I swear I'll never forgive you! I came all this way to get you. Wake up! Wake up, you jerk! You stupid…"

He sobbed, pulling his still friend close, crying into Double D's shoulder. "I'm sorry I never treated you right! I'm sorry I made you do all those things you didn't like. I-I'll listen better from now on, just please…I need you. OK, I said it. I need you, you're the only one besides Ed that's ever treated me better than dirt and all I've ever done was hurt you guys! I'm so sorry. Please forgive me…wake up...please…" That's when he noticed that Edd's chest was still rising and falling. It was still breath, there was still life. He couldn't help but to laugh out loud in relief. But the laughter faded and was quickly replaced with anger. That Gravis guy did this.

Eddy gently laid Double D down on the floor and rushed out the door, never taking note of anything else in the room. He simply rushed out without a plan. Just pure emotion ruling his decisions. You just can't fight inner design.

A/n: Uh oh. What's gunna happen when Eddy finds Gravis? What'll happen when Marie finds out about May? What is Chase going to do with the rest of the kids? Will Double D recover? Find out after finals! Hey guys, don't be sad. He's not dead.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Eee! I'm sorry this chapter is so small. I HAVE to work on finals, but I can't leave this story alone! I'm gunna fail English at this rate. **PLEASE GO READ NATURAL DISASTER! **The other fic that is draining my sanity. It's funny if you like boners and DDR.

**Survey the Social**

Chapter nine.

Marie was out of breath and out of options. Eddy had better have found Double D by now because Gravis was on her tail and there was a dead end in front of her. She wasn't too frightened, however. He would never hurt her, right?

"Marie, what are you doing down here?" The older man asked, slightly winded.

"I was looking' for you." She lied quickly, trying to think back to all the turns she had taken. Nope, they all phased into each other. She was lost and stuck with some she questioned more and more.

"Then why in the world did you run from me this whole time? If you're to lie to me, child, do it better than that."

She swallowed at that. "I thought you'd kick me out. I wanted to explore."

"Yes, well you've seen enough, let's go home." He gently put a hand on her shoulder and she shivered under his touch. He had always given her the creeps. Slowly Dr. Gravis led Marie through the stark white hallways. "Marie, you know that I care a great deal for you, yes?" Gravis asked, looking only straight ahead.

"Yea. You've done lots to help us out." She said, the reply a routine because it was a question he often asked.

"Good. Then please understand when I say that I'm sorry." With that he shoved her into an empty room and locked the door. Inside there was only a small blue light in the floor in the center of the room and nothing else. It was chilly in there and soon Marie was shivering. It was too dark to really see the ceiling, the blue light far too dim. She walked to the wall to find that it was absolutely freezing, cold water running down its sides and into two inch wide grates in the floor. Her hand grew numb from the cool water before she lost track of how long she had been walking, hoping to find some trace of the door. It seemed that the darkness stretched forever in a circle around that one dim blue light.

Why did it feel like the temperature was slowly dropping? Her thin black shirt and low cut cargos were becoming less and less protection against the chill. Marie returned to the blue light in the center, watching her breath cloud in the air at the edge of its range of light. Behind the silence were the quiet sounds of the running water all around her and the chatter of her teeth.

So Gravis really was crazy huh? It figures. Why hadn't she seen it all along? Marie fell to her bottom, drawing her knees to her chest in front the blue light. Gravis was too good. Leaving that dump, seeing her family happy, it was too good. Only someone crazy would want them. No one ever wanted them. She buried her face in her crossed arms, resisting the urge to cry. No, she was stronger than that. She was Marie Kanker and a Kanker never cries!

But the fact remained that she was cold and alone here. Double D was in potential danger, Eddy was surly screwing up somewhere, and Derek… Derek. She scoffed. She cared about him, she did... but… Derek was so nice to her and helped her forget how alone she felt, and Derek's company helped her feel half as rejected as she knew she was deep inside. He was convenient. A distraction from the pain of her unrequited love and the scorn of the other children.

Why was it painful to know that Derek had only been using her to gain info on Gravis? She was just using Derek wasn't she? How horrible. How pathetic of her to feel such anger and hurt for having the same injustice placed back on her, even if she hadn't meant to just use him from the beginning like he had surly planned to do to her. And for the longest time Marie knew she was over Double D. She wrote volumes of songs about it and sang them until that part of her went numb and her voice was gone and her fingers bled on the guitar. But…when she saw Double D again, saw the young man he had become and how that softness had stayed despite the years. His beautiful glasses which highlighted his intellect, his new braces which showed off his beautiful smile. For a moment she felt warmed by her thoughts, until again she remembered that she was still alone. Still cold and maybe already forgotten.

Why? The question resounded in Marie's head. Was there something wrong with her? Was she not pretty enough? Not smart enough? No one knew Double D better than she did, not even his parents! No one would die for him like she would; no one cared about or thought about him like she did. Even when she thought she had stopped thinking about him, it was just her mind that had turned away. Her heart had still hung on. Still fought. Why? Why couldn't she just forget these feelings?! What pathetic part of her wanted this kind of pain? Rejection again and again was all she received for all her effort and love! How ugly must she be if he still couldn't look her in the face? How horrible of a person she must be if he would prefer scum like Eddy over her!

Marie growled at the darkness, feeling warm tears flow over her frozen cheeks. Abandoned by their mother every night, abandoned by every man that ever promised to take care of them, rejected by the only person she really cared about, then left to freeze to death alone in the dark. Her anger was starting to fade to sleepiness, her body sore from shivering. This was better. This was better for everyone. No one wanted her, she was a mistake. Ugly, pathetic, worthless, alone. She took in a deep shaking breath before falling asleep in the cold.

Gravis was heading to his control room. Everything was falling apart. At this rate the experiment would be ruined! His quickened footsteps resounded down the white hallways, then he turned the corner and stepped into a large black room. The difference was stark and almost painful on the eyes. The walls were black like the furniture and the huge computer desk and the screens that were off and lined the massive wall. Gravis keyed in a long password and the screens flashed to life, the Sanctus Society's emblem of an infinity sign appearing. Before Dr. Gravis could enter in any more commands, a video connection appeared on the screen and the man froze.

"Do I even have to tell you how incredibly disappointed I am in you, Jonathan?" The female voice said with stern disapproval and authority. Gravis shakingly looked up at the blonde woman's face, staring fearfully into her crystal clear blue eyes. Her cruel, ruling, unfeeling nature flowing from her like her ridiculously long hair.

"Please forgive me, Crystine. I-I am controlling the problem now."

"Then I am sure you're not aware that four of your subjects are running around in New Harbor. Letting you get involved in the experiment was a mistake I will not make again."

"I-I'll go take care of it immediately. I can capture them and erase--."

She put a finger just under her lush lower lip, looking down at him with an evil smirk. "No, I believe we've gathered enough information. I will take care of the children in the city and those in the cul-de-sac. You are to return to headquarters and wait for instruction." With out letting him reply, she disappeared from the screen.

Gravis flopped into one of the large black leather chairs, staring with wide eyes at the screen. He was no fool; he understood fully what her words had meant. The experiment was over. The children would be terminated, and then he too would be ended just as easily. He had never meant to get so close to them. How he wished he had Crystine's stoic disconnection to all the things she touched! How he wished…But… they were _his_ children. He made them, developed them, their likes, their features, every last detail, then watched them grow, develop, live! He looked at his hands, remembering what he had just done to Eddward. He didn't want to, but if he was going to save all of them, he couldn't let the others know the truth. And Marie. He had to kill her too. Without Eddward, she would never be happy, he made her that way. It was the only humane thing to do! Now to think that all of them… that he could have let them go and die together instead of scared and alone…His hands cupped his face as he leaned over the control panel and wept.

"You!" Came a familiar voice, but Gravis made no attempt to move. Eddy rushed into the room and grabbed the man's shirt, spinning the chair around. "You bastard!"

"So you found him." Gravis grinned. He ever so loved Eddy's design. Outwardly he acted like the only person he cared about was himself, yet…when it came down to it, there was so much passion for those he was close to.

Eddy felt everything inside himself tighten. This monster was grinning? He was proud of what he had done to Double D! He was happy about it and found it funny that he was upset? People like him didn't deserve to live!

"What are you going to do, boy? Kill me? Like you killed my poor sweet May? You did do that. You're a murderer. How can you be mad at me for doing something you did?" They were all going to die anyways. Why not mess with the boy? Eddy's emotions were always amplified when mixed with anger. And oh how sweet would the irony be if he were killed by his very first creation, here on the eve of the experiment's destruction? "Is it different because how you care for the boy? Do you think I did not care for May? If you had just been a good boy your friend would still be alive."

"For your info," Eddy seethed, practically ripping the man's collar. "Double D is alive." Gravis showed reaction to that.

"He is?" he sat up. "Oh my, we have to save Marie." He stood, only for Eddy to shove him back in the chair. "C'mon, we don't have much time."

"You're not getting away that easy."

"Move, boy! You should all die together at least, it's the best way!" Gravis pushed past him and only made a few steps towards the door before a keyboard was smashed against the back of the guy's head, sending Gravis to the floor.

Chase was trying to concentrate. If his and Derek's findings were right, there was reason to suspect the kids' parents' involvement with Sanctus Society. If that was the case, he couldn't just roll up in a van and pick up the rest of the kids, and they couldn't just all file into a bus together. Four kids going into town wasn't that weird, but all of them would draw suspicions. For now, he'd have to work with what he had.

If Derek was here, things would be so much simpler, and if he wanted to recover his son, they'd have to move quickly. He looked at the kids in front of him. "Alright, let's go." Chase lead the group of confused kids to his van and loaded them up, fighting a worried feeling in his stomach.

Nazz looked to Ed, feeling anxiety grow. Hopefully she could find comfort in that blissfully ignorant expression of his, but strangely, Ed seemed just as worried as she was.

"There is a lump in the force." He said, looking to Nazz who nodded.

"Ed, I wanna go home." Sara tugged on her brother's sleeve. "Mom and dad's gunna be mad if we're late for dinner."

"We have to stay here. Do not worry. I will keep you safe, baby sister." Normally Sara would protest to the nickname, but today she wrapped her arms around Ed's arm which made him smile down at her and pat her head. Jimmy shook in the furthest back seat. Nazz watched out the window as they started to cross the New Harbor Bridge. It was one of those new suspension bridges that were suspended in the center only, climbed up over a hundred feet above the water and had nothing but a three foot cement wall on the farthest edges of the road.

"Something aweful's going to happen, I know it!" Jimmy shrieked. "I just know it!"

"Please calm down." Chase said from the front seat. "Everything is under con-." His word was cut off by the sound of metal and glass exploding. The van was hit from the left sending it wildly out of control. They served into the next lane of traffic before beginning to scrape along that three foot wall. Everyone was screaming. The back left tire blew. Oh God, they were only a mile away from the end of the bridge, if they had to crash, please just wait, just wait! Chase slammed down the accelerator, trying to get to the end sooner. All cars were avoiding the careening van accept one white car. The shiny white sedan hit them, sending the right corner of the front bumper scraping along the top of the cement wall. The result was a wave of sparks and incredibly loud screeching from metal on rock.

Nazz clung to Ed on one side, Sara clinging to the other side. Jimmy clung to Sara from over the back of the seat and all were screaming except Chase and Ed. Chase was desperately trying to get the van off the wall, trying to wiggle the bumper free. Ed was busy holding onto Nazz and Sara. He couldn't let anything happen to them. It was his job, and despite the fear and panic, Ed held tight to that duty even as the sedan hit them again in their back left corner. The force was great enough this time. With a loud metallic groan from the body of the abused van, it pushed through the cement wall and into nothingness. Then everything stopped. There was a sickening sensation of weightlessness as time slowed down and their world took a sudden forty five degree downwards. The wind shield that had displayed sky was now showing a breathtaking view of the horizon flying upwards as the nose of the vehicle dipped, aiming for the choppy waters of New Harbor.

"Where is everyone?" Kevin sighed. He had ridden his new bike around the cul-de-sac for the hundredth time, hoping someone would come out and ask about it. No one but Rolf and Jonny seemed around. He had tried Nazz's cell like a hundred times already and not even the three dorks seemed to be home. He sat down on the curb, putthing his chin in his hands when a beautiful black convertible rolled up, an equally beautiful woman inside.

"Hello little boy." She smiled down at him from the driver's seat. Kevin could only stare. This was a BMW M6! And wow this woman, she was smoking, even how she slowly pulled off her black sunglasses to reveal the most amazing blue eyes Kevin had ever seen. She smiled at his attention. "Where are your friends?"

"I-I don't know." His face felt hot. "There's just three of us today." He knew you shouldn't talk to strangers, but with a woman this hot in this kind of car, he'd tell her anything!

"Why don't you get them? I'm having a party down the road and I'm looking for more people to come. You do want to come to my party, don't you?" Kevin jumped up at that and dashed off for Rolf's house.

Rolf was busy in his garden like always.

"Rolf! Rolf, c'mon! We've got a party to go to!" Kevin skidded to a stop right before bumping into Rolf.

"Can't you see that Rolf is busy tilling the spoils of an autumn day's labor, Kevin? Why are you not pestering the go-go girl Nazz?"

"She's not home. No one's here except you, me and Jonny."

"Rolf said no thank you." Rolf turned to go back to work before he was dragged to the fence by Kevin. "Wow! Who is this goddess that Rolf sees?"

"Dude she wants us to come to her party!" Kevin grinned.

"Why did you not make mention of this before?" Rolf hopped over his fence but turned to yell at his goat "Victor, mind the chickens, Rolf will be home late!"

"Where is your other friend?" She smiled at them when Kevin and Rolf hopped into the convertible.

"Forget him, Jonny's a weirdo." Kevin insisted.

"Where you guys goin'?" Jonny asked.

"We're going to a party at my house. Why don't you come with us?" The woman smiled sweetly at him. Jonny seemed unaffected.

"I don't go places with strangers. What's that Plank? She's the leader of an evil society of scientists and plans to kill us all? Woo buddy, you have an overactive imagination!" The woman didn't seem very pleased at that, muttering something about some guy named Jonathan being a moron.

"Well I can only bring three boys back with me. Without him, I can't bring you two." She pouted at Kevin and Rolf in the back seat. That was all that was needed to be said. Kevin and Rolf dragged Jonny into the car and soon they were driving far away from the empty cul-de-sac.

"Kevin, Jonny, Rolf." She smiled back at them through the rearview mirror. "My name is Crystine and I've been looking forward to meeting you face to face. There's so much to tell you boys." Kevin and Rolf looked dumb struck that she knew their names. Jonny tried to ignore Plank's screaming pleas for all of them to leap from the car now. Instead, he sadly turned to watch Peach Creek disappear into the distance.

Double D opened his eyes slowly, suddenly very aware of the air in his lungs. Why did a part of him feel so cold? A shaking hand lifted slowly, touching his cheek, and then found its way to his stomach, finding material knotted there. His eyes slowly turned from the white ceiling to his shirt. What in the world was going…the knife next to him on the floor brought back the memory and he sat up. The muscles were sore and his head was light, but he was alive. Because of Eddy. But where was Eddy? Surly he wouldn't just leave him here like this. Double D used a nearby chair to help himself up to wobbly legs. The skull and mess of coagulated blood and shrinking flesh on the table almost made him fall again, but he swallowed the sick feeling and looked away, using various things to help support himself as he left the room.

"Eddy?" Double D's voice echoed down the hallway. "Eddy, where are you?" But there was no reply. His hand dragged along the wall as he wobbled. He had to find his friend, they had to escape—ten minuets of more wandering in endless hallways, Double D found a door that was surprisingly cold. Perhaps it was a freezer of some sort? Or even better, a way out! He opened it to find darkness. "Eddy?" He called into the dark. He was about to leave when he noticed that there was a tiny flicker, like a blue light in the room's center. Before he knew what he was doing, Double D had stumbled into the room. As he entered and his eyes adjusted to the darkness it became clear that someone was sitting in front of the source of blue light.

"Hey, can you hear me?" He called, touching the ice cold shoulder before drawing away quickly. "Marie!" She was still sitting there, knees pulled up to her chest, ice covering her hair, clinging to her face and clothes. He quickly began to brush the ice away. "Marie!" He had to get her out of this cold, but he was hardly strong enough to stay standing himself, much less drag anyone. Where was Eddy? Where was anyone?! There was only one thing he could think of doing. Double D got on his knees and wrapped his arms around the girl. She and the room were so cold, and he had lost a good amount of blood, making him much more susceptible to temperature. He knew that, but he couldn't leave her.

"W-w-w—w-ake up." He said through chattering teeth. "P-p-p-p—pplease Ma-arie." His freezing fingers pressed against her neck, hoping to find some kind of pulse. It was there but very faint. "F-f-f-ffor me?"

But there was no response. Double D swallowed feeling symptoms of hypothermia set in. Numbness, drowsiness…his joints didn't want to move from their position around her. If she didn't wake up soon, he'd have no other choice but to leave. But there'd been enough violence! One person was already dead and he didn't even know where his friends were or if they were ok! He was shaking when tears began to slip down his blue cheeks and fell onto Marie's.

"Y-You ha-ave to fight it, M-marie. You gotta fight th-the sleepiness." He called to her, squeezing her tighter. "You-you never give up. D-don't st-tart now. I d-don't want to le-eave you here. Wake up." He begged, staring at the open door, at the warmth that was behind it. The light and possibility of escape and life. The thought that Gravis might find them at any time. "W-we can't die h-here. I need y-your help. Please."

His words echoed in the darkness…

A/N: Ok off to work on English finals! And no, I haven't forgotten about Lee. She has a neat part later.


	10. Chapter 10

"How do you know our names

"How do you know our names?" Kevin spoke up, the car already on the highway. Kevin had to hold his hat down to keep it from flying off at their high speeds.

She let a quiet laugh and glanced back at them through the rear view mirror. "I plan on telling you boys everything once we get to where we're going. Oh my…" The air was filled with the sound of sirens squealing. They were just approaching the slowed traffic on the New Harbor Bridge. Each passing car took an extra few seconds to look at the damage and try to guess why all the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles and news cars were there.

"I wonder what's happened." Her tone hardly sincere, holding a twinge of amusement. Kevin, Rolf and Jonny stared at the flashing lights and then caught notice of the gaping hole in the cement wall and swallowed collectively. Something was seriously wrong here.

**Survey the Social**

Chapter ten.

He was terrified. The faint pulse under Double D's finger tips was slowly disappearing and he wasn't sure if it was because Marie was dying, or if it was because he had gone completely numb. He stared down at her stark white face, the blue eye shadow matching her blue lips. Sadly, he noticed that she looked strangely innocent…sweet with her eyes closed. You'd never guess that this young woman had terrorized him as a child and had tried to encourage him as a young adult. And he swallowed…

She had loved him, for whatever reason, he had been loved by at least one person and yet gave it no thought. All these years, Double D had struggled to gain the approval from fictional parents, but there was a person here, in his arms, that had loved him all along. Who never asked anything from him other than some of his time…and to let her smother him with kisses. He chuckled through the welling tears. It had seemed so horrible when he was younger that he never gave her emotions any worth.

And now she was lying motionless and frozen in his arms. He pulled her closer to his chest, feeling the cold slowly disappearing, fading to all surrounding numbness, making him sleepy.

And something was appearing through silence. Marie had signed herself to the cold darkness, the silence, and the dead when suddenly there was a slow steady rhythm calling out from the black. But why go back? She was alone and forgotten, right? But then, where was this sound coming from? As she followed its sound, there was warmth growing from the empty coldness.

Double D was fighting the urge to fall asleep, knowing it was the subtle lull of hypothermia trying to close his weighted eyelids. His mind was going still, but his heart was raging a war. Should he leave? If he wanted to survive… Double D looked down at her face again. She wasn't going to wake up. He had come too late…Slowly he put Marie down, tears hitting the iced floor.

Marie was stumbling through the darkness, trying to find her way back to consciousness, back to where the noise had been when it slowly faded away, the warmth that it held disappearing as well.

The reality of the situation was hitting hard. Double D shook, curled up, staring down at her. Even if they were to escape from Gravis, where would they go? Where would any of them go? How would any of them live? They couldn't go back to the cul-de-sac where agents of Sanctus Society pretended to be their parents. They were too young to live on their own. Oh god, his parents… He held his head. He loved them so much, did everything they ever asked just to see them smile, but they were fake all along? All of it was a lie! He wasn't even real, was there even such a thing as Double D? Did it matter that his artificially contrived body was shutting down from this cold?

"P-perhaps th-this is b-best." He managed past chattering teeth and shivering lips.

But his words cut through the darkness in Marie's mind. The rhythm, the warmth from before was him! She struggled through the biting cold and emptiness towards where the voice had come from.

"Mmm…" Came a reply from the still girl on the floor. "Double D?" It was hardly a whisper. His heart jumped into his throat but he couldn't help a relieved laugh as he picked her back up, holding her close.

"Thank g-goodness! C-can you move?"

She slowly opened her eyes, studying his face. "Am I d-dead?" Surly something like this couldn't be real.

"N-no, not yet." He smiled down at her. Marie lifted a cold hand and touched his cheek before tears welled in her eyes.

"I-I thought…" She trailed off and swallowed the lump in her throat and looked around. The light from the open door revealed the running water, the rusted grates on the floor, the dull blue light and the promise of warmth in the hallway. Marie took hold of all her strength, new strength abounding in his presence, and managed to get herself up on her hands and knees.

Next to her, Double D managed to climb back to his numb feet and then bent down and helped Marie to her own. She stared into his eyes, feeling his hand on her arm and her back. Together they left the room alive.

The warmth in the hallway was painful at first, both freezing in their spots, waiting for the sting to fade from their skin. When it did, Marie moved first, pushing Double D against the wall and kissed him on the lips. And even though Double D didn't kiss back, he had to admit it wasn't nearly as horrible as it had been when he was little. And for the first time, he had been a little tempted to return the sign of affection. For a moment, everything that was wrong had disappeared behind the shared hint of warmth from where their lips met. The rush of his heart helped warm his limbs, the blush warming his face.

"I never thought I'd be able to do that again." She explained in a whisper before backing off and looking down the hallway. When Marie looked back to him she gasped. "Double D, your shirt—what happened?"

He blinked and looked down, his first movement since the kiss.

"Everything ok?" She asked with genuine worry when he didn't look back up or reply. "Double D?" Marie put a hand on his shoulder and he looked up quickly.

"I-It's complicated." He scooted out from her touch. "We need to find Eddy." And with that he walked a few paces down the hall before falling against the wall.

"Double D!" Marie rushed to his side. Without asking him or giving him any sort of choice she picked him up in her arms.

"Marie, I'm ok." He tried to assure her. In all honesty, everything was still fogging his mind. The truth, the emotions, the loss of blood before and the new temperature change…

"You're lying." Marie said sternly, still walking.

"Please put me down. I'm physically fine." He implored, staring up at her.

"No. Not until you let me in on what's going on." Why did she have to be so stubborn? She was like Eddy when it came to just pure stubbornness. It would have been a funny comparison if circumstances were different. Her arms were surprisingly strong, hadn't she almost just died? Why wasn't she so affected as he was?

"For someone who had almost succumbed to hypothermia, you have recovered exceptionally well. Most _humans_ would need days of rest to recover full movement of muscles and such, much less carry another person in their arms."

Marie looked down at him, frowning. "What are you trying to say, huh? That I'm not a person?"

"No…" he looked away at that. "There's a strong difference between human and person. I'm becoming increasingly aware of this fact…" Marie blinked at how distant he suddenly sounded.

"You're being very weird." She said quieter, knowing they were nearing the head quarters of the complex.

"Marie…" Double D said, still not looking at her. "May is dead."

She froze at that. "I know you know better than to joke like that." Marie's voice suddenly cold.

"I watched Dr. Gravis piece together her skull." Double D said, sounding a little ill. "He said that we were all created in a lab as part of a social experiment."

"Gravis is crazy, he'd say just about anything." She shook it off and kept going. No wonder he seemed so upset and fragile. Gravis must have scared him pretty bad with a fake skull or something.

"May was helping him experiment on us. I watched him do things to Ed-."

"Ed is in New Harbor with Nazz." Marie interrupted. The blood on D's shirt, the fact that Gravis had tried to kill her as well. She didn't want to hear it, or deal with it right now, and if May really was…if she was…

"No, the experiment was a month ago." Double D was starting to get frustrated. "Put me down, I can walk on my own." He wiggled so Marie dropped him on his butt and kept walking without him.

He got up and soon caught up, glaring at her. "How could you just drop me like that?"

"I was just giving you what you wanted." She huffed, arms crossed. She could feel a raging headache coming on. "I see it hasn't stopped you from complaining. You're so freakin' good at it."

"You listen here, Marie, I have been through more horrors than any person should ever have to-."

She turned, pushing him into the wall again, but surly not to kiss him. She had him pinned there, glaring. "You have no idea what horror is about, _Eddward_. Don't even come at me with that. Whatever lies Gravis has told you, save it for later. We've got bigger things to worry about than your bitching." Weeks ago, Double D would have responded harshly. However, his time with Gravis spent learning how to analyze behavior let him see the things Marie really was saying. _'I can't handle the truth right now. I'm scared. Please, no more.' _

So after a few tense moments of silence, she moved from him and kept walking.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "But, what I've said is the truth…I suppose we can wait until later to talk about it."

She paused and looked at him, studying him with a half angry half sad expression. "So you're telling me that my sister is dead and we're not even human? You're telling me that all _now?" _

Double D looked away. "Yes. A-again, I apologize for my timing."

"Did Gravis do that to you?" She asked, touching the knot in his shirt. He simply nodded. She knelt before him and gently undid the knot and looked that the skin deep cut on his stomach. "You're lucky."

"Eddy found me in time to save me." Double D explained, looking down at her. She looked up at him and Double D swallowed when their gazes locked.

"Like you did for me. I…I thought I'd die alone there, but somehow you found me. Why…" She swallowed and looked to the floor, feeling her heart race against her ribs. "Why did you bother to save me? I mean, if…if you hate me."

"I don't hate you." He replied gently, retying the knot across his middle.

"Then how _do_ you feel?" She didn't dare look up to ask him. Double D blinked at the question. How _did_ he feel about Marie? Why had he risked his life to save her and why would Gravis try to kill her? Was it because Gravis thought that he had killed him, and thus should kill Marie? There had to be a reason since the doctor seemed to have a soft spot for the Kanker Sisters. If that was the reason, there'd only be one explanation. Instead of saying it, Double D chose a dumb question instead.

"W-where's Derek?"

Marie stood at that, her emotional weakness passed and she put on a stern face. "We're wasting time. Gravis could come by at any moment." It was only a few more moments of walking when they approached two large black doors opened only a crack.

"Stay here." She whispered before looking around the corner of the large black doors. He watched Marie peek into the doorway and jumped when she gasped. "Double D!"

The huge monitors that built a wall in front of the control panel were playing hundreds of scenes of footage of all of the children that they knew. The rest of the room was in total disarray. Broken keyboards, dangling mice, and over turned chairs cluttered the scene. White paper contrasting with all the black were scattered everywhere with a glint of silver from the sides of the only chair left on its wheels. Double D tip toed into the room, keeping a look out for any sudden movements anywhere. He glanced back at Marie who was still staring at the monitors in disturbed awe. Finally, the chair was in front of him, and with a deep breath Double D turned it around.

"Eddy!" He gasped. Eddy was just sitting there, staring into space. "Eddy, can you hear me?" He asked, starting to pull at the duck tape. Eddy's eyes slowly moved.

"Double D? It's all a lie." The flat emotionless tone in Eddy's voice hurt Double D and he swallowed, nodding sadly.

"I know, right now we have to escape. We can grapple with the truth later." Marie soon joined him and Eddy was free. He didn't make much attempt to move though.

"Where's Gravis?" Marie asked. Eddy shrugged blankly. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She shook Eddy, but got no real response, so she slapped him.

"Ow! Why, you little!" Eddy growled and Double D quickly stepped between.

"Now that you've recovered, let's escape and regroup with Ed and the others as soon as possible."

* * *

The impact was almost as unbearable as the fall had been. The nose of the van was instantly submerged and Chase scrambled to roll up the front windows to slow the cold water that was rushing in. "You! Break the back window!" Chase yelled at Ed, pulling off his seat belt.

Ed nodded and gently pulled from Nazz, then from Sara.

"No!" Sara begged, still wanting to cling to him.

"Big brother will be right back." Ed assured her before climbing over the seat, past a shaking and still screaming Jimmy. There before him was the back window and a great view of the bridge as the van began to sink faster and faster. The water in the van was already to Nazz and Sara's knees. The water was painfully cold since it was already early November.

With a deep breath, Ed pulled his head back then slammed it hard into the glass. However, there wasn't a mark on the plane. So he did it again and again and again as the water as the water climbed, reaching Nazz and Sara's waist. His sister's screams fueled the desperation as Ed continued to slam his head against the thick glass. His forehead was bleeding by time it cracked. Ed almost passed out by time Chase had managed to get back there and together they smashed through the glass. Water gushed in after that, sending the water level climbing wildly. Chase grabbed Jimmy since he was closest and pushed him out as the water level in the van neared the ceiling. Chase grabbed Nazz as Ed grabbed his sister and together the remaining four left, leaving the van to sink to the bottom of the harbor. Getting out was only half the struggle.

Nazz pulled from Chase, grabbing Jimmy's hand and pulling him to the surface. Ed put Sara on his shoulders and treaded water. The water was so cold, he had to keep her out of it was much as possible. However, he was hardly able to keep his own spinning, throbbing, aching head above the water.

"That way!" Sara yelled, pointing to the distant left. She was the only one high enough to see any hint of the shore line. Chase took Jimmy from Nazz, since he could hold the boy's weight better, and they started that way. They went to the left, fighting the current and cold water. Ten minuets later, Sara noticed that she was sinking further and further in the water. "Ed!" She pulled on his hair. "Nazz!"

Nazz turned, almost hit by a wave. "Sara, are you ok?"

"Ed is sinking! Do something!" Sara was still pulling on her brother's hair, as if that would be enough to lift him higher in the water. She could feel him move less and less under her. "C'mon, stupid! Up!" She yelled. When the water level hit her waist and Ed wasn't trying to tread water anymore she was near panic. "I'm g-going to tell mom if you don't swim back up here right now!"

Nazz glanced back at Chase. Quickly, Chase passed Nazz Jimmy and swam over to Sara who was chest deep in the water and grabbed Ed's sleeve, pulling him up and out from under Sara. Of course, Ed was unconscious. Oh, this wasn't working. Jimmy had fainted a few moments ago so he needed to be carried, and now there was a possibility that Ed had swallowed water. The devotion to his sister must be something to have carried her on his shoulders like that in choppy water. Nazz was a good swimmer, he could tell, but she would get tired fast if she had to carry anyone and they were still a mile away from the shore. And Sara was fighting just to stay above the water. If she was going to swim there on her own, it'd have to be fast.

Chase swallowed hard, checking to see if Ed was breathing. Where was the rescue team? The sounds of police cars were above them, but where were the rescue boats? He looked back down to the unconscious teenager in his arms. There wasn't any sign that Ed was breathing, and with their situation, CPR wasn't really an option. All he could do was attempt mouth to mouth without chest compressions.

"You," He said, looking at Nazz, "Take this girl and I want you two to swim as fast as you can to the shore. I'll take care of the boys."

"I'm not leaving without Ed and Jimmy!" Sara yelled.

"If you don't, you'll drown before the rescue team gets here! Now go!" Sara still made no movement.

"C'mon, Sara. Everything will be ok. We've got a while to go still and if you get tired I don't know if I can carry you." Nazz said soothingly to Sara. But when Nazz looked at Chase, she knew the truth. If he couldn't resuscitate Ed, he didn't want Sara around.

"If anything happens to them, you'll regret it!" Sara threatened before letting Nazz lead her away. Chase then, while juggling Jimmy, made some sort of attempt to resuscitate the heavier, more cumbersome burden that was making him sink further and further into the water. It became increasingly clear that there was no way Chase could drag both boys the mile left to the shore line. One light one breathing, one heavy one not. The choice wouldn't be hard to make.

He swallowed hard and tried one more time to resuscitate Ed, but the waves were increasing and it was getting harder to keep the other boy above the water.

"What a brave boy." Chase said before letting Ed go to bob in the water before disappearing under the waves. "It had to be because of how he used his head to bust through that glass." Chase mused to himself before the sound of a motor came to his attention. It was a rescue boat! He turned and dived, just able to grab Ed's collar and drag him back up as the boat pulled up beside him, Nazz and Sara already inside.

There was just one woman in the boat. Normally, rescue teams have at least two members inside, incase one rescuer falls in or needs to dive for someone. The woman was wearing a red hat that hid all of her hair and shadowed her face in the dimming sunlight. Chase hesitated for a moment before offering her Jimmy, then Ed.

Despite her and the four other kids, there was lots more room in the boat but she shook her head. "That's all the room we have."

"Don't be ridiculous. There's plenty of-." His words were cut short by a gun in his face. The woman's other hand took off her hat to show long beautiful red hair.

"Mom!" Sara gasped, hugging her side. The woman showed no physical reaction to her daughter's affection. Instead she kept her weapon pointed at Chase, an evil grin on her face.

"Thanks for your help, Chase." The woman said before firing into the man's chest. Sara and Nazz screamed, Sara moving quickly from her mother to Nazz. Chase gasped, looking with wide eyes at the red in the water.

"Hey," The fake rescuer grabbed Chase's chin and pointed it so that he could see that near a support beam, under the bridge was the small shadow of a young man hanging from a makeshift noose. "Say hi to your son for me." And with that, she started the motor and took off, leaving Chase there, forgotten among the waves.

"What was that for?! He saved us!" Nazz shouted, holding a now crying Sara.

"Oh Nazz, dear." The woman smiled, still not putting the gun away. "There's a great deal you don't know about."

"Mom, please, is Ed ok?" The woman paused at Sara's uncertain plea and looked down at Ed who was lying still on his side.

"He's probably dead." She said without emotion, nudging the boy with her shoe. She shrugged and went back to piloting the small boat.

"No!" Sara pushed from Nazz. "Ed wake up! You can't be dead!" She pounded hard on her brother's back. "Wake up! Wake up!" Again hitting him over and over. Sara wasn't a little girl anymore, but there still should never be such a thing as death in her life. Ed had always been there, he couldn't leave now! He…he had held her out of the water, used his big stupid head to save them from being trapped in the van, he couldn't die because of her! "I said get up!"

"It can't be helped, dear." Her unfeeling mother replied. "With as dumb as he was, who would think he'd survive a situation such as this, hmm?" Her question was answered by spluttering and coughing.

"Ed!" Sara cheered, hugging Ed around the neck as he coughed the rest of the water from his lungs and sat up. Sara's relentless pounding had shaken the water loose.

"Sara?" He asked with a rough and raw voice. "Is it dinner yet?"

"So where are you taking us?" Nazz asked, making Ed turn around.

"Oh no, you didn't tell mom, did you Sara?!" Ed asked, shaking.

"I know all about what you do, Ed." His mother replied. "And this is as far as we're going." She stopped the boat, still a distance away from the shore. She then turned to the children, cocking her gun. Ed instinctively put himself in front of Nazz and Sara Spreading his arms wide to hold them back and behind himself.

"There's no point in trying to escape, kids." She said with a sigh. "There's a rip current, even if you jump out, you'd never make it to the shore line. And you can't go back to the cul-de-sac. The…" She trailed off, looking at Ed's face. He was shaking, tears in his eyes but still determined and brave despite the fact his mother was pointing a gun at him.

Ed's heart was racing. First Eddy had left him with Nazz, then that ride in the van, the fall from the bridge, getting out, almost drowning, now this? He loved his mom, but couldn't. _wouldn't_ let anyone hurt his baby sister. No matter what. He lifted his chin trying to look braver despite his quivering bottom lip. She pressed the barrel against the boy's neck and he closed his eyes.

"The experiment is over." She knew that it was only his design making him do this…but all the years she had spent with him, even if she was just pretending to be his mother were flooding back, making her hands shake. She pressed a little harder, hoping, wishing he would falter, showing some kind of weakness, but he still stood there, head held high, eyes closed. He'd _die_ for them. Even if he wasn't real, even if he wasn't born from a womb, wasn't it still admirable? Wasn't this act still worth _something?_ "I-I have my orders."

"Sara?" Jimmy asked, sitting up and drawing the woman's attention away long enough for Ed to jerk the gun from his mother's hand and point it back at her.

"Ed. You're not going to shoot me." The woman chuckled. "Give it back to mommy."

"You're going to hurt Sara!" He shouted, trying to still his shaking hands.

"None of you kids are real!" The woman shouted. "You were all created in a lab for a social experiment and nothing more! You-you don't even have souls! You're not people, not real humans. All the things you think and feel are the result of how you were made and that's it. You're. Not. Real."

Ed finally stopped his shaking. "_You're_ not real!" He replied with anger. "You're not our mom!" and with that, threw the gun over her and into the water.

"None of you have real parents. All your friends are probably dead by now. Marie, Double D and Eddy are with Gravis, Kevin, Rolf and Jonny are with our leader. They've gotta be dead by now. If you escape, where are you going to go? None of you have a home to go back to now. If the state finds out they'll put you all in foster care and spread you all over the country to different agencies. Why not just die together?"

Silence followed after that, just the sounds of the water sloping against the boat, the sirens from the bridge and the noise of an approaching boat. Wait! The woman turned and glared as the police boat rolled up. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a knife. "I can't let the police get their hands on you."

"She's going to kill us!" Jimmy screamed. "Someone help!"

"Put down your weapon!" Shouted an officer's voice over a bull horn.

"I'm sorry, Ed." The woman apologized, her voice shaking as she lifted the knife high. Sara, Nazz and Jimmy's scream was only covered by the sound of a gun shot and a splash. When the kids opened their eyes, they were alone in the small rescue boat, the larger police boat pulling up along side.

"Is everyone ok?" One officer asked, hopping in with them. Ed turned to see that the others were ok. Shaken, cold and wet but alive.

"Everything's gravy." Ed said with a nod. Moments later, they were all on the police boat, draped in thick blankets. But no one said a word, especially not the two red headed children huddled together, staring at the water.

A/N: I know I didn't give Jonny, Rolf and Kevin any time, really, so I promise you they'll get plenty in the next one. (I'm already 3 pages in on it) I felt that nearly 5,000 words was kinda long for a chapter, so I ended it here. I had no idea the story would be this long! And We're only, I guess half way through, two thirds at the most.


End file.
